The Seven Day Rule
by PurryCat
Summary: [COMPLETE] Donna's got the flu and Harvey has to cope with her absence at work. Or at least that's what he should do. Instead he decides he can't be without her and makes it his priority to take care of her. How will their relationship change over the course of one week? Set in s2, after Zane vs. Zane. M-rated chapter added.
1. Chapter 1: Thursday

**AN:** Hi Suitors! I'm new to writing Suits fanfic, but I had this very vivid dream of Donna and Harvey before Christmas last year, and they wouldn't let me go. Most of this was written before 8B. As a European fanfic writer, I'm terrified of the possibility of an upload filter, so I thought I'd publish this before I won't be able to. I'm mostly done with all the chapters, but I got some revisions to do. I hope you like it. English isn't my first language and this is unbeta'ed, so feel free to point out the mistakes I've undoubtedly made.

Set in season two, after _Zane vs. Zane_.

* * *

**Thursday. Or: How To Get Through The Day Without Donna**

At first, Harvey wasn't all that concerned. It was rare but not unusual that he was in his office before Donna came in for the day. Sometimes he had to get something important done before lunch and needed an early start, or he had to pick up a file before he was having an unscheduled breakfast meeting with a client. That day, however, it was because he hadn't slept all too well. Instead of tossing and turning for one more hour, he got out of bed, went for a run, had a shower and came straight to work. Coffee and a bagel from the cart just out of his office building were enough for breakfast. He barely took note of Donna's empty desk that morning. He hadn't exactly expected her to be there at 7AM.

He got started on the Miller-Fogarty case, and soon Mike showed up at his office. Harvey tried to suppress a smile. Finally he had someone to hand the boring paperwork to. Mike sat on the couch and went through the file.

"No Donna?" asked Mike after a while.

Harvey involuntarily checked his watch and saw that it was almost 8. He shrugged. "Maybe she had an emergency."

The two of them went back to work, but by the time the clock showed 9, Harvey got a little nervous. His eyes wandered to the empty cubicle where her presence normally made people shake to their core. Did something happen? He had no time to think about that now. He had a case to work on, or else Jessica would get angry. After all the Hardman disasters, the firm was in desperate need of some good PR, so a pro bono case was just the right thing. And for once Harvey had volunteered.

By the time 10AM rolled around, Harvey got pissed. He took out his phone and called her. It went straight to voicemail. Angrily he slammed his phone on his desk. He really missed flip phones in moments like these. Nothing about the action had felt close to satisfying. Within the hour, he tried to call her several more times, and each time it went to voicemail.

For a moment, he thought about sending for Rachel, but he reconsidered and wanted to avoid seeming desperate in front of the paralegal with Mike as an audience. He would never be able to live it down. A couple minutes later, rushing steps carried him to Rachel's office. He quickly knocked on the glass door, but entered before she could say something or even look up from her desk.

"Harvey, what can I do for you?" Rachel asked with a hint of surprise in her voice.

"Do you know where Donna is?" he asked with detectable impatience.

"At her desk?" the paralegal asked quizzically.

"Would I be here if she were?" he rolled his eyes.

"Sorry. No, I don't know where she is then."

"She never showed up for work, and I can't reach her on her phone."

"That is unusual," Rachel said. "Have you written her an email? Maybe her phone is broken and she never saw you called."

"I can try that," Harvey nodded. But he made no move to leave Rachel to her work.

"Is there anything else?" Rachel asked carefully.

"Has this something to do with her getting fired a couple months ago?"

"Like a masked strike?"

"Exactly."

"Not that I'm aware of," said Rachel. Donna hadn't alluded to any work-related unhappiness.

"Good. I'll leave you to it," Harvey said and motioned to the pile of files on her desk. He turned around to move.

"Harvey!" Rachel said.

"Yes?"

"Please let me know when you've reached her. This isn't like Donna."

"Sure thing," he mumbled and walked back to his office.

This time he didn't have the same speed in his step. It truly was a head-scratcher to him where Donna might be. He was beginning to seriously worry. He knew Donna and Rachel were close, but when even the paralegal couldn't inform him of Donna's whereabouts, it meant something bad could have happened. Fear settled in the pit of his stomach, but Harvey knew he had to work on his case. He shooed Mike out of his office and closed the door. He sighed and went to his desk where he opened his laptop to write her an email.

_Donna, _

_I have no clue where you are, but it isn't at your desk._

He stared at the screen, and felt it was too harsh. He quickly added:

_I'm worried about you. You don't answer your phone.__ Are you OK?_

He gave it a nod of approval and hit the send button.

When 12 o'clock rolled around with no reply to his email and no returned phone call, he walked into Jessica's office to inform her he'd have to take a long lunch break for personal reasons and she was gracious enough to not press further. He didn't want to give Jessica the exact reason because he was protective of Donna, especially after what had gone down earlier this year. No need to make Jessica regret her decision to allow Donna back in the firm.

With nervous fingers he called Ray who directly took him to Donna's apartment. He told his driver to wait there. He didn't feel like taking a cab back to the office if she really wasn't there. He had to make sure she was OK. No matter what the reason for her absence was, the certainty would have its positive effects on his work. For the last couple of hours he only stared at pieces of paper without really working.

Harvey walked up to the building with the number 176 on it and pushed his index finger on the button next to her name. He waited, and got no response. He turned around, exasperated. He sighed and nervously ran his hand through his hair. He needed to come up with a plan B. He tried to remember. Wasn't there a neighbor Donna had mentioned once, whose cat she once fed when they were on vacation? But what was her name? He was desperate, and at that point he didn't really care. He rang at every single neighbor of Donna's. It was the middle of the day on a Thursday, so he didn't have high hopes.

After two false alarms, he finally got the right neighbor, Miriam. _That's the name_, he thought. He was let into the building and was lucky enough to learn that Miriam had a spare key for Donna's apartment. They first knocked on her door, and Miriam insisted she stay with Harvey. She had heard of him, but she felt she had to be careful with a man she had never met in person before.

There was no reaction to their knocks, so Miriam unlocked the door to Donna's apartment and hesitantly poked her head through it.

"Donna?" she said.

No reaction.

"May I?" asked Harvey and when he was met with no resistence, he entered the apartment he had only been in twice before.

The living room was empty. "Donna?" said Harvey and turned around to Miriam. "Should we check the bedroom?"

She nodded and moved past him to do so. Harvey stayed behind the friendly neighbor. Miriam knocked on the bedroom door, and Harvey's heartrate went up when they both could hear some ruffling noise on the other side of the door.

Suddenly the door swung open and he saw Donna, her appearance rather unusual to Harvey. She wore sweats and had messy hair. Her nose was red.

"Hey," his secretary croaked.

"Donna, I was worried about you," said Harvey.

"I don't feel well."

"You don't look well," remarked Miriam.

"What time is it?" Donna asked.

"It's noon."

"What?" came her reply.

"It's OK," he reassured her.

Miriam looked at her neighbor. "Is it OK if I go? I have to leave for work soon."

"You can go," replied Donna.

After she had left, Donna, still standing in the doorframe, told the same to Harvey. But he wouldn't hear any of it.

"I can't leave you alone, Donna, you don't even know what time it is."

"I know, I'm sorry. I'm sorry I never called. I had no idea what was happening to me."

"I think people call it the flu," he smiled.

"I wasn't aware of time at all," Donna said apologetically.

"OK, here's what you're gonna do: You go back to bed, and I will get you some soup. And then I'll quickly run to the drug store"

"You can't," she protested.

"Why?"

"You'll catch the flu as well," Donna said with a quieter voice than he had ever heard.

"No, I won't," he stated matter-of-factly.

"The great Harvey Specter won't ever get sick?"

"No, he does. But he got a flu shot."

Donna nodded, momentarily forgetting about the appointment at the doctor's she had made for him a couple weeks ago.

"OK," she agreed meekly. Partly, because she was losing strength to stand, and partly because she couldn't deny being cared for had its perks.

Donna returned to bed, and before she drifted back to sleep, Harvey came into her bedroom.

"I need your keys," he said, his voice barely above a whisper.

"Purse on the side table in the entryway," was all she could manage to say.

Harvey left her building and told Ray to come back in one hour. He called Rachel to let her know that Donna is alive. Afterwards he walked around the corner to the drug store. He stopped by a fruit stand to get her oranges and lemons. He knew she loved the small Indian place across the street, so he went there to buy some daal soup. He returned to her place after half an hour, put the fruit away and put his ear close to her bedroom door. It was quiet. He opened a window in her living room to let some fresh air in. As Harvey was going through the motions, he had forgotten to feel relieved. He took a deep breath because he was so relieved. Relieved that his fears were proven wrong.

With the certainty that Donna, while not being well at the moment, would soon be OK, he decided to make her some tea to shorten the process of getting her back to her normal self. He found tea in the cabinet and put some water in the kettle. He even spotted a small tray by the fridge. He put the tea cup and a jar of honey on it, and took it to her bedroom. He knocked on her door, and entered. She was asleep. He placed the tray on her nightstand. It had been ages since he'd been in that room. It hasn't changed much. Harvey immediately felt comfortable in her apartment. It was just like Donna: Warm and inviting, yet classy. He sat on her bed and touched her shoulder to wake her up.

"Donna," he whispered.

Her eyes fluttered open. "Harvey."

"I made you some tea," he said and pointed to her nightstand.

"Thanks."

"Have you had anything to eat or drink at all today?" he asked worriedly.

"I don't think so."

"Then drink," he ordered.

She sat up and grabbed the cup. It felt warm in her hands. She was freezing. She had a headache and she was scared her eyeballs might pop out. She drank from her cup. Harvey took the spoon on the tray, unscrewed the lid from the jar of honey and added a generous dollop to her cup.

"Thanks," she said meekly.

"You're welcome."

"You should go back to work, Harvey."

"I will, I just wanted to make sure you were OK."

"I'm sorry I never showed up for work earlier. That has never happened to me before. Does Jessica know?" she croaked.

"No. And don't worry about it. Everyone gets sick once in a while. Or did you forget the time Louis twisted his ankle while he practiced the _pas de deux_ with Norma?"

Donna wanted to chuckle, but it came out in a cough.

"Anyway, I got you some daal soup and butter naan. It's on your kitchen counter. Do you want me to heat it up for you?"

"I can handle it. Thank you Harvey," she said and sought eye contact.

He smiled in return. "It was about time I pay you back for all those years of you taking care of me."

She waved it off. "I was being paid for that. Wait, does that mean I have to pay you for your time?"

"Eh, you'll get an employee discount," he grinned. "OK, I'm off. Drink your tea and eat the soup. I also got you some oranges and NyQuil."

"Wow, you really go all the way."

"You know me, Donna, I don't half-ass things."

And there it was, the Specter smirk.

Harvey was back at work a little after 2PM. He knew he still had a lot to do for his pro bono case, as well as the Folsom Food case, but his mind was preoccupied. There were so many things he had forgotten to get her. He hadn't thought of tissues or ginger. And now that he was thinking about it, he didn't know if a bowl of soup was sufficient food for an entire day. He quickly made the decision to go back to her place after work and bring her some more stuff.

* * *

To her surprise, Harvey returned later that day. Donna had spent the afternoon mostly in bed, but she also had the soup and even peeled an orange. She had about half of it before she felt weak again and fell asleep with the peel on her comforter. This was the scene Harvey found her in when he entered her bedroom at around 7PM. After seeing her like this, he went to the kitchen, got a plastic bag for the orange peel and he picked it off her comforter. She stirred and slowly woke up. By the time she was fully there he had brought her water, made her another cup of tea and sat on her bed.

"How do you feel?" he asked her.

Donna still wasn't used to this caring side of Harvey, but it didn't mean that she wasn't appreciating it. "Like spit-out chewing gum under a huge pile of dog shit."

He nodded knowingly. "Are you hungry?"

She nodded as she took a sip of water.

"What do you feel like eating?"

"Sushi."

He furrowed his brow. "OK," he half-asked her.

"I was kidding, Harvey. Maybe matzo ball soup?"

"Alright."

Harvey went to get up from her bed, but she took his hand and stopped him mid-process. "Thank you, Harvey."

The unusually intimate gesture sent a jolt through his body.

"You're welcome," he shrugged, but sat back down.

"I mean it. I really appreciate it."

"Don't mention it."

"Oh, I will," she insisted.

"Don't you dare," he replied and gave her a killer smile.

* * *

_So, that's it for today. I'd be forever grateful for a review. The next chapter will go up in a couple days. _


	2. Chapter 2: Friday

**AN: **Thank you so much to everyone who took their time to write reviews, faved and followed this story. What a welcome to the fandom of Suits!

**Previously...** Donna wasn't at her desk, which had Harvey first angry, then worried. He came to her apartment to find her sick with the flu. He then made sure she had everything she needed and went back to work, only to come back at night to bring her dinner.

* * *

**Friday. Or: My Baby Just Cares For Me.**

Donna woke up with the most horrible headache. She felt like the tracks under a heavy train. After what must have been the worst night's sleep she turned around in her bed when her look fell on her nightstand. She found a box of tissues, a cup that held some kind of liquid, and a large glass bottle of water. She reached for the water and took a big gulp, and then curiously eyed the cup that was filled almost to the rim. She sniffed its contents, but due to her flu she smelled nothing. Carefully did she pick it up and drank the tiniest bit of it. It was cold, and she thought it had the faintest taste of ginger. Harvey...

He must have made her ginger tea before he left the night before. She peeled her tired ass out of bed and grabbed all the used tissues she could find and took them in the kitchen where she threw them in the trash. She took a look around and noticed quite a lot of fruit. She saw bananas, pomegrenates, kiwis. She found some grapes in the fridge and noticed a month's supply of citrus in her fruit bowl on the counter. The growl in her stomach signified her body's need for breakfast. She refilled the kettle for more tea and found a note on the cabinet door.

_I got you some yogurt and granola. Should make a decent breakfast. _

_-H_

She again checked her fridge and grabbed the yogurt container. Before she prepared her breakfast though, she went to the bathroom to brush her teeth and wash her face. Donna applied a generous amount of moisturizer to her face to make up for the fact that she had committed the deadly sin and not applied any for an entire day, brushed her hair and fixed it in a low ponytail, a bun would be too trying on her poor head, and dabbed some ointment under her noise to prevent it from getting red and dry. As she was walking back to her kitchen where the kettle gave away its telltale whistling sound, she heard her apartment door unlock. Terrified, she grabbed the frying pan that sat on the top of her stove and held it above her right shoulder like a baseball player held his bat. With her heart almost jumping out of her ribcage, she reluctantly looked around the corner into the living room.

"Donna, you're up early. Are you feeling better?" Harvey said casually.

While he spoke so casually, he was dressed in one of his best three piece suits, giving the opposite impression with his looks.

"Are you trying to kill me?" she croaked.

"In fact, I'm here to prolong your life, not shorten it."

"Is that so? Then how come you just scared the living daylights out of me?"

"Hm, Dalton's first Bond. One of my favorites. You can put the skillet down now," he said with a safisfied grin as he passed her.

Only then did she notice that he was carrying a bag.

"What's in there?" she asked while she motioned with her hand to the bag that he was just putting down on her kitchen counter. She then had to sneeze and tried to suppress it. She didn't really succeed.

"I didn't know what you liked for breakfast, so I picked up some bagels on the way."

"Well, your talk is all 007, but your actions are very much Richard Gere in _Pretty Woman,_" she noticed with a certain cockiness in her voice.

He smirked at her then, leaned closer to her and said with a voice like honey, "Maybe I have a thing for redheads."

She felt the heat rise in her cheeks and wished she hadn't made the comparison. She quickly recovered though. "Now, before you start singing _Roxette_, you better go to work. I can't have you miss more than you already have," she ordered.

"Alright. Is there anything else you need?"

"Peel me a grape? Crush me some ice? Skin me a peach, save the fuzz for my pillow?"

He rolled his eyes while at the same time trying to suppress a smile.

"Harvey, you brought me everything I need. I just need some sleep and the strongest aspirin I can find in my medicine cabinet."

After he had gone, she made breakfast with yogurt, bananas and granola and went back to bed where she ate it and sipped more tea. Part of her felt lucky her sense of taste was almost gone, because she was sure if she had to taste sage tea, she'd never drink it. When she was done, she took a shower and changed into fresh pajamas. She picked up the trash around her bed, took two aspirin and went to sleep.

When she woke up in the afternoon, she actually felt pretty well, well enough to strip her bed and put some fresh sheets on it. She hated being tied to the bed. The least thing she could do was make it as comfortable as possible. She checked her phone for the first time in almost two days and noticed it had been dead. She went to the small bureau in her entryway, a lovely piece of furniture she had inherited from her grandmother, and got her cell phone charger. As soon as it was plugged in, her phone started vibrating for a couple of seconds. She saw that Harvey had sent her an email and she also had six voicemails. After a couple moments she also received texts from Rachel, Mike, Louis and even Norma. Who knew the older woman could text! All of them wished her a speedy recovery and expressed how much she was missed. She missed them too. And most of all, she missed being at work and having something to do.

Donna was a bit surprised that Harvey had been in her apartment more often in the last 24 hours than he had in over a decade. Not that he wasn't a caring boss, or even a caring person, but she was surprised nonetheless. Any outsider would expect him to be self-involved, partly because it was the image he had been cultivating over the last years, but Donna was one of the rare people outside his family who was allowed to see the real Harvey. She knew about the anonymous checks to the widow in the Coastal Motors case. She had seen him when cases nearly destroyed him at the DA's office. She knew why Harvey hired Ray to be his personal driver, and she had a ringside seat to the mentorship with Mike and the ensuing friendship between both men.

It wasn't ever questioned by Donna that Harvey was someone who cared for others than himself, it was more of a question of why he cared for _her_. They had a peculiar relationship, and he was usually on the receiving end of things. Not that she didn't appreciate his generous gifts for the annual Secretaries Day, but their professional relationship defined their personal relationship, and it took some getting used to being pampered by him in other ways than monetary. Normally, Donna provided him with everything he needed, from emergency dry-cleaning pick up to late-night phone calls with emotional insight into his soul. Now, however, that dynamic seemed reversed to a certain degree.

She checked her voicemails. The first one was from Harvey. He sounded angry and asked where the hell she was. She smiled. Of course he was angry. Anger was always the first emotion he went to. The second one was also from Harvey, and he sounded slightly less angry, but still pretty annoyed. In the third one he dropped an f-bomb, but it was the fourth one where she could detect a noticeable shift. His voice sounded strained, and before he hung up, she swore his voice was trembling. Maybe she was reading too much into it. Or maybe the absence of her sense of taste made her hearing all the more receptive. By the fifth voicemail he sounded honestly concerned, and the sixth one showed a degree of desperation in his voice she had barely witnessed before. She had to smile. She saved the last one, and deleted the first five. Six voicemails by Harvey Specter. She slightly shook her head. The man really was suffering from separation anxiety.

Donna did some more tidying of her apartment before she lay down on her bed and took a nap.

"Honey, I'm home," said Harvey with feigned sweetness as he entered her quiet apartment around 7.30 that night. He put the bag with their dinner on the dining table and carefully knocked on her bedroom door.

He looked at her for a moment. She looked almost angelic as she lay there on her bed. It was a rare occasion that he saw her still and quiet. He noticed that she was wearing something different and she also had new sheets on her bed. He slowly sat down next to her and gently pushed a strand of hair out of her face. The gesture woke her up, and her first reaction was to smile.

"You're back," she half-asked as she sat up.

"I am. Someone had to make sure you're alright."

"Miriam checked in twice today," Donna said and got up from her bed. He quickly copied her motion.

"I brought dinner," Harvey told her as he followed her out the door.

Suddenly she turned on her socked feet, nearly ran him over, but he caught and steadied her. She went back to her bedroom where she opened a window to let in some fresh air.

"That's so nice. What did you get?" she asked him before she coughed into the crook of her arm.

"I brought chicken noodle soup for you, and chow mein for me," said he as he took both containers out of the plastic bag.

Donna raised an eyebrow. He was just full of surprises. "We're having dinner _together_?"

"Yeah, I haven't had time to eat yet. Is that OK?"

"Sure, if you don't mind me being underdressed?" she asked and motioned to her pajamas.

He couldn't remember her ever not looking good, even in her sweats or pajamas. He appreciated the expensive dresses that dipped dangerously low between her breasts, but didn't find her attire at the moment objectionable. "Not at all."

As Donna got him a plate and a bowl for herself, Harvey took off his suit jacket, vest and tie, and rolled up his shirt sleeves. He put his clothes over the backrest of her couch and sat down at the table. She helped him transfer their food to the plates and they shared the meal. It wasn't often that Donna and Harvey had dinner together besides the annual evening at _Del Posto_. Lunch was the most frequent meal they shared, and they had had quite a few drinks together. It felt really nice, just the two of them eating in relative silence.

"Not that I'm complaining, but why did you come back today?" she asked him when her bowl was empty.

"As I said, I wanted to see how you were, and I didn't know if you had any food, or if you had the strength to stand to make you something."

"I made some scrambled eggs for my avocado bagel earlier."

He finished his food, got up and took her bowl with him.

"I got one more thing."

"Harvey..." she started to say, but a sneeze cut her off.

"Now before you say anything, I didn't buy it. It's from Katrina."

Donna immediately knew. He brought back a small plastic bag and put it on the table before her. Her face was one huge smile and she felt her mouth water.

"Wow, I've never seen you like this," he stated, but quickly corrected himself. "Well, I did see you like this exactly twice, but there was no food involved."

Now his smile matched hers, but his was way cockier.

"Excuse me, mister, but could you please wipe that smile off your face? Besides, strawberries and whipped cream _are_ food," she clarified, knowing exactly which two times he was referring to.

He reduced the wattage of his smile and cleared his throat. "What kind of cookies make you smile like that?"

"Chocolate chip with butterscotch and pistachios," she said with a moan.

His brow furrowed. "How does Katrina know that?"

"Bertha from the DA's office told her."

Harvey had to smile at that. It really was a small world sometimes.

"If you're nice, I will share one cookie with you. You'll get half, not a crumb more," clarified Donna as she rose from her chair and walked to the couch, bag with cookies in her hand.

"Sure. What are we watching?"

"Well, nothing you'd probably normally watch, but I'm sick so I get to choose. Let's start with _Some Kind of Wonderful_, and make our way to _Clueless_."

Wordlessly, he sat down next to her and waited for her to offer him half of her cookie.

Halfway through _Just One Of The Guys_ Donna finally asked what she has been holding back the entire evening. "So, about those voicemails..."

His head snapped towards hers. He had forgotten about all of them. Not much of that morning was something he really could remember, except the feeling of desperation because something might have happened to Donna.

"It was mostly because Mike was egging me on," he said and tried to sound nonchalant.

"Uh, the audition for _Days Of Our Lives_ is two doors down," she commented on his acting abilities.

"I'm serious. We were working on the Miller-Fogarty case when _he_ noticed you weren't at your desk," Harvey explained, while at the same time neglecting to tell about his own feeling of terror when he noticed her absence.

"Well, that might explain the first three, but what about the other three? You sounded like a high school senior without a date for prom."

"I had plenty of girls who wanted me to take them to prom."

"Oh, I don't doubt it. But who was the one who turned you down?" she asked with a raised eyebrow.

He was quiet.

"Aha! So there _was_ one who turned you down!" she exclaimed triumphantly. "Let's just be happy there were no cell phones during the Stone Age, or you really would have embarrassed yourself."

"Donna, just so you know. _You_ didn't turn me down," Harvey smiled broadly.

"Just because there was one time-"

"One night," he corrected. "Two times."

"-one night then, doesn't mean I didn't turn you down many, many times before _and_ after."

"You're delusional. Maybe you should take your meds," he said and touched her forehead as if to prove his point.

"Haha. Anyway, that final one will be saved for all eternity."

"It was that good, huh?" he smirked.

"You truly need to go to therapy for an overdeveloped ego. It's not healthy."

"Says the one who is sick at the moment."

"I may be sick, but I'm still fabulous."

"Now who needs that therapy for their ego?"

"Admit it, Harvey. If I wasn't fabulous you wouldn't spend your free time with me," Donna said with a broad smile that he's been missing all day.

And with that, she effectively shut him up. He simply nodded, the corners of his mouth turning upwards in an involuntary smile.

* * *

_Thanks in advance to anyone who's kind enough to leave a review. _


	3. Chapter 3: Saturday

**AN: **Hello, dear readers! I am so very overwhelmed with the response to this little fic of mine. Thank you to each and everyone of you who left me a review, faved and followed this story. I can't thank the guest reviewers in a PM, so let me say this here: You guys are amazing! It makes all the difference when people give you a little encouragement. This chapter will get a little angsty, but bear with me. Sweetness is more powerful when it was preceded with a hint of bitterness.

**Previously...** Harvey took care of a sick Donna, but they ended up having fun, watching movies and bantering along the way.

* * *

**Saturday. Or: You Give Me Fever**

Harvey slept in that Saturday. He had a long week behind him, and though he felt the need to rush over to Donna's place and see how she was, have breakfast with her and continue their movie marathon - hopefully with more influence on the movie choice this time around - he also needed some time for himself. Saturdays were usually days where he didn't have to work, and he was lucky that this Saturday was no exception. Everyone who knew that Donna was sick made sure that they helped Harvey in any way that they could, except for Louis who wasn't helpful as per usual. But Rachel, Mike and even Katrina had his back.

After a good night's sleep, he went boxing for a while, had breakfast at home and was now standing in front of his closet, considering packing an overnight bag just in case. With a towel wrapped around his waist and his hands on his hips, he felt like he was a teenage girl getting ready for her first sleepover in a new clique. He was insecure, uncertain and multiple times had the impulse to pack everything. Was it even wise to assume he could spend the night at Donna's? When he left her the night before, she seemed better than in the morning of the same day. She still coughed a lot and looked pale and tired, but in general they had spent the night joking and having a good time. In fact, he couldn't come up with a night in the not too distant past where he'd had as much fun as he's had with Donna. The familiarity gave him ease, while she still challenged him enough to always be exciting.

With a confirming nod he decided to pack a bag, just the essentials. He planned to leave it by her apartment door, so she probably wouldn't even see it. That way he could still quietly take it back to his place in the evening should he not spend the night there.

Over his boxers he wore his favorite jeans, he pulled a white t-shirt over his head, followed by a navy blue henley shirt. Harvey checked his image in the mirror and went through his still wet hair with his hand. He rubbed his hair with a towel again, and decided to leave it like that.

He arrived at Donna's place around 11.30 AM. He dropped the keys on the bureau by the door and put his bag right next to it. He had expected her to be on the couch, watching TV or reading a book, but the living room was empty.

"Donna?" Harvey asked and poked his head around the corner. The kitchen was empty as well. He felt slightly silly saying her name again. He knocked on her bedroom door. No response. Harvey repeated her name. Nothing. There it was again, the feeling of helplessness and terror, hammering in his chest, closing his throat and making his palms sweaty.

He opened her bedroom door, and had to suppress a gasp. Donna was in her bed, a sheen of sweat on her face, her hair clinging to her forehead.

"Oh my god, Donna," he said and rushed to her.

"Harvey," she croaked.

He touched her face. She was burning up. On autopilot he went to the bathroom, checking her medicine cabinet for a thermometer. He quickly returned to her bed and put the thermometer in her mouth. Impatiently, he panned the room. The water on her nightstand seemed untouched. There were quite a few used tissues on the bed and next to it. When he heard the telltale beep of the device, he took it out of her mouth and wasn't surprised when he saw the numbers on the display. _100.3°F_

He helped her sit up so she could drink something.

"Can I leave you alone for a moment?" he asked her.

She nodded.

Harvey went back into the living room and clumsily took his phone out of his jeans pocket.

"Hey Harvey, how's it going?" came his brother's voice.

"Good, Marcus. Listen, I need your help," replied Harvey in a no-nonsense cadence.

"Sounds serious. Shoot."

"OK, I don't know what to do. You know Donna. She's got the flu. I came by her place five minutes ago and she's burning up."

"Oh."

"Yeah. What should I do? Get her to the hospital?"

"Not yet. Does she have paracetamol?"

"I don't know. But I can get her some."

"Make sure she takes one. And what really helped when Ella had a fever were cold leg compresses," Marcus explained.

"Thank you, Marcus. I really appreciate it," he said sincerely.

"No problem. Let me know if it worked. Normally paracetamol and the compresses should do the trick. If her temperature hasn't gone down by tonight, get her to a hospital."

"Alright, thanks again."

They hung up and Harvey rushed back into the bathroom to look for the pills. He didn't find any. A quick trip to her bedroom to tell her he'd be right back, and he was out the door. He was back in no time and gave her a pill. Again did he rush into her bathroom to get towels and a washcloth. He found both in the shelf next to the shower. He wet some of the towels and the washcloth. The latter he put on her forehead.

"Donna, I'm gonna push your pants up to your knees and wrap cold towels around your calves," he explained as he lifted the comforter off her body. He wanted to get her consent, and didn't want to surprise her with the rushed action.

She looked apathetic and didn't protest. She flinched at the contact with the cold towels though.

"Sorry," he whispered.

"'S OK," Donna mumbled.

Around the wet towels he wrapped dry ones to keep her bed dry. After he was done, he went into the kitchen to make her a cup of the antipyretic tea he also bought at the drugstore. He brought her the cup and made sure she drank all of it. She fell asleep after a while and he took a deep breath. He tidied up around her bed and took his phone out of his pocket again to look up what else he could do to help her.

Apparently, with the pills, tea and compresses he already did what most people recommended. He wanted to make sure, so he called his doctor. He wasn't surprised when he only got a nurse on the phone. She confirmed that he was doing the right thing, and he released a breath of relief. Still concerned about Donna's health, Harvey knew all he had to do now was what he hated the most. Wait. His GP's nurse said Donna's temperature should go down within the hour, so Harvey busied himself with some more clean-up.

When he was done, he took a look around her living room for the first time. He wasn't sure, but she might have painted the walls since he last saw it. Now he was wondering if that was something she would do herself. Not that she couldn't do it, he was aware that she did most things herself because she was a multi-talented goddess. Without a doubt in his mind did Harvey know that she could easily run a country, even while she was sick. There was a time when he thought she had a small army doing most of her job because the workload she could handle and the things she anticipated were almost uncanny.

Between books, a photo of her grandmother and a delicate glass bowl with a red rim, he spotted a picture of her and him on the shelf. He took it in his hands and smiled. It must have been taken about four or five years ago during the Pearson Hardman retreat. All partners went to a hotel upstate for a weekend. He remembered it well. And he could almost taste the atmosphere of that weekend. It probably was the closest thing to a school trip he's had since he was an adult. They had only worked Friday morning, drove three hours to the hotel, had a conference in the afternoon and after dinner he and Donna ended up in a small group with Louis and Jessica where they told stories about coming of age and compared their best pranks. The next day, Hardman had arranged for Prof. Henry Gerard to lecture on some boring ethics topic. At least Hardman didn't test them afterwards that time. The photo Harvey held in his hands showed him and Donna later that day, when they were sitting next to each other at dinner, toasting with Barolo and enjoying each other's company. The night also would forever remain in Harvey's memory because it had almost happened again. They had almost had sex again, and it was only because they were caught sneaking away by Kevin Yates, one of the senior partners. It had sobered them somewhat, and Donna remembered her rule.

She looked amazing in the picture, Harvey thought. He didn't think it was a coindidence that she had picked that same dress for her grand entrance after he rehired her earlier this year. She had tempted him with that dress at the retreat, and she did it again when she wore it on her first day back at Pearson Hardman. The woman could wear sweats with soup stains on them and look gorgeous. He carefully put the framed photo back in the shelf and walked into her bedroom to check on her. She was still asleep, and he didn't want to wake her up.

He sat on her couch and turned on the TV. He couldn't recall when he had last just flipped through the channels. It had been a busy year. He didn't have time for many things. He also couldn't remember when he took Donna out to dinner and not talk about work. He made the resolution to do it as soon as she was healthy again. It's truly been too long.

When after 40 seconds Harvey had flipped through as many channels, he again went to her bedroom door. He had left it ajar when he last checked on her. For a while he just stood in the door frame and watched her. He cocked his head to see if she was really asleep.

"Harvey," she whispered.

Quickly he moved through the room and sat on her bed. Cautiously he removed the washcloth from her face and touched her forehead. Her eyes were closed, which made him wonder if she was awake or if she had just talked in her sleep. He got up and to go straight to the bathroom to rinse out the cloth and take it back to her.

"Don't leave," she begged, her voice barely above a whisper.

Immediately Harvey turned and sat back down. "I won't, Donna. I promise."

To cool down the washcloth somewhat, he swung it through the air before he gently placed it back on her forehead. "How are you feeling?"

"Tired."

"Let me check your temperature again," he announced and put the thermometer in her mouth.

He wanted to cheer the moment he read the numbers in the tiny display. _99.8°F_

"Donna, your temperature's gone down," he grinned and moved her hair out of her face.

"Good," she said and attempted to smile.

Harvey got her some more water and made another cup of antipyretic tea. He made sure she drank both before he slipped out of her room. He took out his phone again and called Marcus for the second time that day.

"And?" came the quick question on the other end of the line.

"Her temperature's going down," Harvey told his brother with a notable relief in his voice.

"That's good to hear," said Marcus, quickly adding, "You sound so much better."

"I'm relieved, you know. This really scared me."

"You sounded terrified earlier."

"I was. Seeing her like this... I don't know. It truly uprooted me for a bit. She's normally so strong and she could rule the world."

"She rules _your_ world."

"That she does," Harvey agreed with a smile.

"I'm serious, dickhead."

"What do you mean?" the older brother asked, his brow furrowed.

"I mean that earlier you sounded so worried."

"You know her, it's tough when someone like Donna is sick. It's as if the world is off its axis."

"Harvey, take the blindfold off. The last time you were this concerned was when Dad died."

"It's not like that, Marcus. Donna's my friend."

"I don't doubt it. But how many friends like that do you have?"

Silence.

"Exactly," said the younger Specter. "Listen, Harvey. Do what you will, but it's not a coincidence that Donna is the person with whom you have the most stable relationship in your life."

"Yeah," Harvey meekly agreed.

They hung up, and he was left deep in thought. His brother was right. He's had a relationship with Donna for an entire decade. He's never had a romantic relationship going for a year, much less ten years. Harvey released a sigh and slowly walked back into her room.

He saw her frame slightly shaking under the blanket.

"Donna," he said as he came closer and saw she was shivering.

"I'm so cold," she said quietly.

Harvey made quick work of getting the cold towels off her legs and covering her with the duvet. From the living room he got an afghan with which he covered her. Without thinking about it twice he lay down next to her and rubbed his hands up and down her arms to warm her up. His fears returned. He felt so safe just a couple minutes ago when her fever seemed to be declining. Now he was terrified that she was freezing. While he was gently running his palms up and down her arms, he still had to smile. If he were in that same situation and Donna was taking care of him, he was sure she would have seen the shivering coming. Just like she always saw everything coming.

"I'm here," he whispered and scooted closer to her. She was turning to lie on her left side, and he pressed the length of his body against hers.

Barely audible, he heard her say "Thank you, Harvey."

* * *

_Thanks so much for reading this week's chapter. Leave me a review if you will, I only read them religiously._


	4. Chapter 4: Sunday

**AN: **Whoa, are you guys serious? I can't thank you enough for the reviews, faves and follows to this story. I'm floored. As promised, here's the weekly update. This is the halfway point of this littlle story, but I made the chapter longer for your reading pleasure. You're welcome. Though I marked this fic as Romance/Humor there will be some angst in the upcoming chapters. But I'm all for a happy ending, so fear not!

**Previously... **Donna's been having a fever, but Harvey stayed with her and made sure she was taken care of. He even called his brother and his doctor to ask for advice.

* * *

**Sunday. Or: Movie Interruptus**

For the entire night Harvey hasn't left her side. He checked her temperature almost every hour and was there when she was shivering for most of the night. Then she'd go through phases where her temperature would go up again. It's been a rollercoaster and Harvey was more than exhausted.

Donna woke up in the morning and turned around to find him next to her in her bed. She faced him and gently stroked across his stubbled jaw. The action almost shocked her for a moment. It was either the meds she had taken or her fever was coming back. She barely got to see him like that. She mostly only knew him neat as a pin, dressed in the best suits his money could buy. For a second she was wondering when a woman was last allowed to see him like that. It had to have been when he was in college. After a moment he opened his eyes and smiled.

"Morning, Sleeping Beauty," she greeted him. He immediately noticed how normal her voice sounded. It wasn't where it usually was, but it was way better than in the past couple of days.

His smile got broader. "If I'm Sleeping Beauty, what makes that you? Rapunzel?"

"Please, that girl just waits and waits until a guy helps her? You should know me better than that," she said as she again touched his growing stubble. Harvey all but flinched at the unusual contact. "Maybe I should call you King Thrushbeard from now on."

She ran her thumb across his chin.

"I'm not familiar with that name," he told her, his voice deep and sleepy.

"You should read up on your Brothers Grimm then."

"How are you feeling?"

"I'm better. And I feel gross. I definitely wanna take a shower."

"Alright. I should make us some breakfast."

"Sounds great. I could eat some solid food. If I see one more bowl of soup in the next days, I think I might go on hunger strike!" she proclaimed, and as if to prove her point her stomach growled loudly.

Harvey got up from beside her and she instantly noticed the cold that seeped into her again. She lifted her upper body and simultaneously swung her legs out of the bed. He was around the bed in no time and held out both hands to help her up.

"Today you're getting the Specter Special," he announced.

She suggestively raised her left eyebrow. He noticed her reaction, and tried to laugh it off.

"Not _that_ Special. Besides, you already had _that_ Special," he defended himself and sounded nervous to her. She was taken aback for the briefest of moments. They never talked about that night ever. They weren't supposed to.

"Which after all those years is just a distant memory," she teased. After all, banter was always the first thing she went to.

"Is that so? I remember it like it was yesterday," Harvey said with a smirk and more confidence. His words sounded almost hushed, like he was telling her a secret.

It made her heart jump. She hoped that he wasn't lying in that moment. "That's because I'm memorable."

"And I'm not?" he asked with a hint of feigned hurt in his voice. Before he gave her a chance to reply, he quickly added, "Anyway, that bed has seen some action in the past."

"It sure has," she said, but the tone of her voice suggested that she wasn't necessarily just referring to _the other time_.

"Way to ruin a guy's ego, Donna," he said in mock-defeat.

"Yeah right. All I do is course-correct. Otherwise your ball collection would need its own room."

He gave her his trademark smirk in response. "Ready?" he asked and moved a bit closer to her, his hands still ready to help her up.

She got up on wobbly legs, but he steadied her. Together they walked to her bathroom door, where he left her on her own. As soon as she was inside the door, she felt a dizziness that made her legs unsteady again. She clutched the door knob, which caused the door to open again. Surprised by the movement, she let out a shriek. Within seconds, Harvey was by her side again.

"Are you OK?" he asked concerned.

"I felt dizzy for a moment. I'm fine though."

"Let me help you get inside the shower."

"In your dreams. Not after that conversation."

"Donna, you can trust me. I won't peek," he assured her, his look stern but soft at the same time. She believed him. The last thing she needed now was him seeing her like that without her clothes on, without having grabbed a shower in two days and no opportunity to run a razor across her armpits.

"OK. You can give me a hand. But I'll undress in the shower."

"What if you get dizzy again?" Harvey asked her worriedly.

"I'll manage," she said and held her hand up. "The shower walls will give me stability, something to lean on."

Donna was nothing if not a prideful person, so Harvey respected her wishes. It wasn't in his interest to embarrass her. All he was here for was to help her get back to her normal, amazing self. And a not insignificant part of him wanted to take the opportunity to take care of _her_ for a change. She had been nothing but wonderful to him for over a decade, and sometimes Harvey was wondering how he could ever repay her. He was aware that she was only doing her job, but he also knew how dissatisfied with their secretaries some of his colleagues were, and at least Donna looked and dressed the part of an executive secretary at one of the best law firms in New York, unlike Norma with her unflattering seasonal sweaters. Not that her looks were the best or even most important thing about Donna, far from it. It simply was a sign of her infinite integrity and dedication to her work. Harvey also suspected that her talent for acting played a part in it. Costumes made the role, and she played the role of his secretary like she was going for an Academy Award.

They slowly made their way to the shower. Harvey opened the shower door and she took a tenative step into the basin.

"Socks?" he asked her cautiously.

"Right," she nodded as she bent forward to take them off.

After the first sock was off, she grabbed for the second one, but lost her balance. Quickly, Harvey tightened his grip on her waist with one hand and reached up with the other one to steady her on her back. But she twisted slightly and his hand came in contact with her breast.

With an apologetic "Shit, sorry," he quickly retracted and his hand moved lower.

"I knew you couldn't control yourself," she smiled.

"Very funny," Harvey rolled his eyes. If there was one thing he wanted to avoid was to touch her and not enjoy it.

Donna's bare feet now made contact with the cold bottom of the shower and she gave him a small nod to signal she was ready.

"You sure you'll be fine?" he asked again.

"I thought you had more faith in me."

"Donna, you know I believe you can do anything you want. You're amazing," he told her sincerely.

"Thank you, Harvey," she replied with a humble look on her face. It meant the world to her that he had an unwavering belief in her. "Now leave me alone. Geez, I really need to fight you off with a stick today!"

The wink that followed her statement told him everything he needed to know about the seriousness.

"You bet," he said and gave her his cockiest grin.

It were moments like these that questioned everything about their relationship. Donna loved to play the game, but at the same time she didn't know how to deal with lines like that. Was he really interested in her in that way? She normally didn't believe so. He had made it very clear that time at her favorite diner that he only was interested in her in a work-related fashion. And with embarrassment did she think back to that day where she actually for the fraction of a second thought he was going to say that he was wishing for more, in a whole other way. Donna to this day was wondering if she was disappointing in the bedroom and that's why he didn't want to be in a relationship with her. She would be mortified if he ever found out that this had partly been the reason why she started doing yoga all those years ago. To limber up. To do better next time, even when next time never meant a next time with _him_.

Only when Donna heard the lock on her bathroom door click did she take off her clothes. She threw the garments over the glass walls of her shower and turned on the water. She had missed the soothing feeling of the warm water on her face. She didn't feel dizzy at all, on the contrary. She came alive again under the spray of the shower, and she took her time to wash and condition her hair, clean herself and shave.

Harvey waited by the bathroom door for a moment. When he didn't hear her yell for help, he slowly made his way into the kitchen. He checked her fridge and noticed it was nearly empty. He went to her entryway where he had hidden his bag and changed out of his sweatpants and t-shirt and back into his jeans. He had changed out of them when Donna was fast asleep at night. He grabbed her keys and went to the grocery store around the corner.

When he came back, he found her dressed in dark jeans and a green cardigan. He could see a white collar peeking out from her cardigan. She looked nice. Her look was completed with the towel she still had wrapped around her head. And if he could rely on his trained eye, she even wore a bit of make-up. Not the Donna at work make-up, but a bit of mascara and a light lipgloss.

"You look very nice," he complimented her as he passed her on his way to the kitchen. He unloaded his two bags of groceries on the counter and put most of it in the fridge.

"Thanks. So do you," she replied and gave him a once-over. "Who knew you were capable of grocery shopping..."

"It might surprise you, but I have to eat, too."

"Oh, I know that. I just thought you had someone go to the market for you."

He simply smiled in return. "There are a couple things I can do myself. Hungry?"

"Hell yeah," she nodded enthusiastically.

"Good. I got croissants and that raspberry jam you love so much from _Céline's_. I wasn't sure if your tastebuds ran at full speed again, but I thought I'd take a chance."

"Are you kidding? I'm drooling! Even if I can't taste everything, it's still refreshing to have some other textures besides soup," said Donna, wondering how he even knew she loved the croissants and jam at _Céline's._

"Why don't you dry your hair and I'll set the table," he suggested.

Donna wordlessly went into the bathroom and couldn't help but wonder what had gotten into Harvey. It was almost as if he enjoyed the domesticity. This was all new for Donna, who mostly knew him in a professional setting. Of course, when you've worked together for a decade, you couldn't keep the personal out at all times, and after a while they became friends. With that, she always saw the two sides of Harvey, but moreover she also wondered what he'd be like at home. She tried to avoid his apartment best as she could. On one hand, she didn't want to overstep any boundaries. On the other, Donna knew it'd be stepping on dangerous territory.

Knowing what a boss or a human being Harvey was was one thing, but seeing him in a role she had wanted to see him in for a long time was part wish fulfillment, part torture. It scared her, but at the same time it also gave her hope. For the first time since that night many, many moons ago, Donna was the one who was taken care of. By him. He made sure she had everything she needed, and she'd lie if she said she didn't love every minute of it. It was nice to be on the receiving end of it, but she knew it wasn't wise to push him for more. She knew him after all, Harvey wasn't able to have successful relationships, and neither was she really. But Donna was certain that she could make a relationship work if she wanted to, a concept she didn't know Harvey even wanted at the moment or ever.

Stepping back into her living room, she found him sitting at the table, sipping coffee and looking at her expectantly. Besides the croissants and jam she saw fresh fruit, omelets, bacon, yogurt and toast. In the middle of the table sat a small bouquet of coral red Peruvian lilies.

"I must say Harvey, when you throw out words like _Specter Special, _I would have expected something completely different," she remarked with a raised eyebrow as she sat down next to him.

"Like?" he asked amusedly.

"Sausage," she said without looking at him, busying her hands with taking a croissant.

He rolled his eyes. "Well, that may have been the case in my 20s."

"Or possibly in your early 30s," she smiled knowingly.

"Oh, I can get you sausage if you want!" he challenged her.

"Can I please have breakfast first?" she retorted, and fluttered her eyelashes for good measure.

"Sure," he smirked and his mind immediately went back to the other time, an image he was smart enough to push out of his head immediately.

* * *

Hours later Harvey returned from his place where he had gone for a shower and a change of clothes. When he came back to Donna's apartment, he found her watching TV in the living room.

"Hey, what's this?" he asked as he sat on the couch next to her.

"Nothing you'd ever watch."

"Try me."

"Gilmore Girls," she said with a raised eyebrow.

"Never saw it."

"Really? You're not into shows centered around female leads? That does surprise me, Harvey," she deadpanned.

"How are you feeling?" he asked with a hint of concern in his voice.

"Fine. I wish I could breathe through my nose."

"How's your temperature?" he said and touched her forehead with his palm.

"Fine I guess. Why?"

"I'm just worried about you, Donna. You're normally a force of nature. Having seen you like this..." he swallowed thickly and avoided her gaze.

"Thank you for being there for me. This isn't something I would have expected."

He tried to not take it as an insult. "How do you mean that?"

"I mean that I never got to know you as the type of person who'd take care of someone like that. Before you say something, I wanna say that I really appreciate everything you did. I'm amazed that you went above and beyond. I know that you care, but the way you've shown me just how much you care has blown me away. Thank you so much," she said sincerely.

His eyes have been glued to her lips. At first he expected her to insult him, but now Harvey didn't know how to react. It was such a non-brainer for him to help her. She almost made it seem as if it had been a big deal.

He waved it off. "It was nothing."

Now it was her turn to check his forehead. "Are you OK? Have you just said something _humble_?"

"Shut up," he said and got up. "I'm getting started on dinner."

He walked around the coffee table and went into the kitchen.

"This better not be the dish Scottie taught you," she warned.

"Go watch your menstruation show," he ordered and vanished in the kitchen.

* * *

After they had eaten the stir-fry he had cooked, they found themselves back on her couch.

"Do you wanna stretch out your legs?" he asked as he scooted further away from her to give her more space.

"I'm good. How long do you wanna stay?"

Harvey was somewhat surprised by her question. He had planned to stay the night again. He was scared her fever might return. He had brought a change of clothes just in case. He cleared his throat. "Um, I don't know. I could stay the night if you wanted me to."

"No, Harvey. This is very nice of you to offer, but aren't you tired?" she asked worriedly.

He could never tire of her company. "I feel fine."

"But you stayed here and were awake all night last night. This is going to be a tough week. You need some sleep. And we both know that you only like to sleep in your own bed."

Why was she always right? But still, Harvey couldn't shake the feeling that he was being thrown out. There was no place he'd rather be than with her.

"Donna, it really wasn't a big deal that I took care of you. If anything, it was a lame attempt to make up for a decade of you taking care of me. And this doesn't tip the scale in my favor at all. It was nothing compared to everything you've done for me. Yes, I like my own bed, but I wanna make sure you're OK. What if your fever returns?"

"It hasn't returned all day. I feel so much better than last night. Besides, I wanna take a long bath and you couldn't help me with that."

He smirked at her then. Why was he always going there and looking irresistable while doing so?

"Please, Harvey. I have to insist on this one. You've been there for me, fed me, acted as my nurse and watched me sleep. The only way you can help me now is by going home and taking care of yourself. You'll need a good night's sleep for the week ahead of you. You have the Folsom Food case to think about. Tomorrow, I'm having a doctor's appointment and she'll tell me when I can come back to work. I think I can handle everything on my own until then," she assured him with a smile.

"But-," he interjected before she interrupted him.

"Uh-uh-uh," she said as she held up her hand in protest. "I feel so much stronger. I promise to drink more ginger tea and hot water with lemon. And before you say anything, Miriam will come to the doc's appointment with me, just to play it safe."

"Huh, seems like you got it all figured out," Harvey remarked, a hint of disappointment evident in his voice.

He got up from the couch and made his way to the entryway. She followed him. "Don't be mad, OK?"

"I'm not mad. I'm glad you're feeling better. Just for the record: I wouldn't mind staying," Harvey stated and gave her a reassuring look.

"Just for the record: You're always welcome here. You're the best boss there is. Come here," she said and leaned in for a hug.

Was that what she was thinking this was? A boss being worried for his secretary? Donna was a secretary to him in the true sense of the word. She was the keeper of all his secrets like they were her own. Now he was doubting everything. Hadn't he made his intentions clear? He returned her hug and reveled in their embrace. He couldn't remember the last time they had shared one. It must have been on his last birthday.

"Please call me when you need anything, OK?" he mumbled into her fragrant hair.

"I will."

"And let me know what your doctor said," he insisted.

"I will."

"Sleep well."

"You too."

"And get well."

"I'm almost there."

"I know."

Only then did they step out of the embrace. Harvey put his jacket on and grabbed his over-night bag.

"Good night, Donna," he said as he opened the door.

"Good night, Harvey," she replied. She smiled at him broadly and put her hand over her heart. "And thank you, so much!"

He nodded and left, feeling more unsure about her and them.

* * *

_That was a rough ending, I know! What did you think? Did you like it? Write your praise and complaints in the box below. _


	5. Chapter 5: Monday

**AN: **Hi, dear readers. My jaw has dropped and perhaps is still dislocated because of the love I got for the last chapter and the story in general! Way to make a girl feel special! A special Dankeschön goes to all the guest reviewers and the people who don't wish to be PM'ed. I can't thank you enough for your kind words. I'm almost done with writing the story, and it's been so much fun. I know this is a T-rated story, but I might be persuaded to include an M-rated chapter at the end. If you guys want that. Let me know in a review at the end. In this chapter we have no direct Donna-Harvey interaction, and it's also rather Harvey-centric. But I tried my best to incorporate Mike, and I hope I did a decent job with his voice.

**Previously... **Harvey and Donna had quite a lot of fun, flirting, enjoying their time together. Which made Donna panic and she all but threw him out of her apartment. Harvey was shocked and hurt by that, so let's see where this chapter takes us.

* * *

**Monday. Or: Miscommunication At Its Best**

Harvey felt empty. He was lost in his spacious apartment. It seemed corny to him, but as he glanced over to the left side of his bed, the Police song _Bed's Too Big Without You_ popped in his head. His cell phone told him it wasn't even 6AM. He was wide awake, and he had been for most of the night.

If it hadn't felt like she was kicking him out the night before, he wouldn't have waited to get ready and drop by her place before work. She had explicitly called him her boss, which meant two things to him: One, she only saw him as her boss, not as a friend or possibly her lover or boyfriend. Two, by that specific choice of words she underlined her statement from years ago that she could never date someone she was working with. Harvey's hopes and wishes were effectively crushed. He had been so sure that their relationship had developed immensely in the past four days. Aside from him taking care of her, they had watched movies and joked, flirted even. They had spent time outside of the office, something that they rarely did. And because they've known each other for so long, Harvey felt like he could be himself. It was always so easy for him to feel comfortable around her.

At first Harvey had been surprised about the development, but it wasn't an unwanted one. After Donna had been fired, his true wishes were becoming clearer. But he hadn't been ready to let them come to the surface yet. He expressed them by giving her a huge check. After having feared for her health, Harvey was ready to think about the feelings that had been part of his daily life for the better part of a decade.

If he was honest with himself, one of the reasons for his deep feelings for her was Donna's ability to warm up to people so quickly. Him on the other side, he always needed a shield if not an armor of witty spitefulness to feel out a new situation with a person he didn't know well or at all. He released a sigh into the empty apartment and turned on his back. Harvey couldn't for the life of him figure out why Donna had been so adamant in her refusal to let him stay another night at her place. He was so sure that she enjoyed his company as much as he enjoyed hers.

Their relationship was a unique one in his life. He wasn't really the type to stay in touch with ex-girlfriends or women he had slept with. But it was different with Donna. For one, they _had _to maintain a relationship, albeit a professional one at first. Aside from that, he _wanted_ to have a relationship with her. The last days have shown to him that a solely professional relationship wasn't enough for him anymore. But after last night he was hoping beyond hope that she'd be willing to give it a try.

Harvey knew that Donna wasn't lacking offers. He had more than once witnessed how clients or even opposing lawyers tried to hit on her. Donna, ever the witty one, always let them down easy. Suddenly, Harvey's heartrate sped up. He couldn't help but wonder if he would soon be one to be let down easy by her. He released another sigh. He _had_ to make his feelings for her known though. With determination he threw the duvet off his body and got up to have a shower and start his day.

* * *

Donna's night was a whole lot more revitalizing. She only woke up a couple times to blow her nose and quickly fell back asleep. Her bath the night before did wonders to her well-being. But she was agonizing over their situation and her feelings. She knew she had been too harsh by basically throwing Harvey out of her apartment. Her action came as a surprise to herself, but it was a reflex in the end. She had to protect her heart. She had enjoyed Harvey's company thoroughly and she was deeply touched by his devotion to her and her health. This all led to a beaten path in her head.

She wanted more.

It was awful imagining how she would soon have to get used to being alone again. So she wripped off the band-aid. Better now than later. Later that night she came to the conclusion that everything that happened between them was good, but that it was also good that they never became a couple. Too painful the memories of that morning at the diner where she was arrogant enough to expect him to come crawling to her, when in fact he wanted nothing but her signature on an employment contract. Who knew if they would have survived ten years as a couple.

Her doctor's appointment wasn't until 11AM, so Donna took her time getting ready in the morning. It wasn't her routine to take her time in the mornings. In a way she really enjoyed being sick and actually staying at home for a while. Too often had she dragged her weakened body to the office to be of some service, even if it meant she wasn't as quick or bubbly as usual.

As she had told Harvey the night before, Miriam accompanied her to the doctor. Her neighbor assured Donna how much better she looked. If only it weren't for the returning pangs in her heart. Although she knew she had ultimately done the right thing by not allowing for more to happen between her and Harvey, she still knew she hadn't done it exactly right. There could have been another way of doing it nonetheless. In the waiting room at the doctor's office Donna made the decision to make up for it. She had felt no dizziness on the way to her doctor, so she felt safe to take a cab by herself.

Dr. Feldman told Donna she recommened to stay at home for two more days in order to avoid infecting co-workers, which gave Donna reassurance. She wasn't back to 100%, but she felt so much better than a day or two ago.

"You've been taking good care of yourself, Ms. Paulsen," said the doctor.

"I had some help," she smiled sheepishly.

Back at home, she stood before her closet to choose her outfit for the night. She was trying to look her best, while at the same time not going full-on alluring. With three options hanging on her closet doors, Donna decided to take a nap so she would be able to stay up late that night. Because she simply had to see him to clarify her reasoning of throwing him out of her place. That, and she needed to issue an apology to him. She knew she had promised him to call after her appointment, but now she'd rather do it in person. Even with knowing Harvey so well, phone conversations were always trickier. That way she could make sure that he saw her face and she could immediately see his reactions, too. This wasn't the time to grant them both the opportunity to hide their true feelings. Donna needed a face-to-face interaction.

* * *

He stared at the brief on his desk. At one point his eyes seemed to have read the document, but they were no longer scanning the page. Harvey still hadn't heard a word from Donna. He knew her appointment was before noon, and now it was 5PM and he had no idea why she hadn't called. But he knew what it meant. It meant that last night she had thrown him out to make the point that she couldn't see a future for them as something more than co-workers. Had he pushed her too much? Had he intruded her life in a way that was too much for her? He was certain that the formerly untread territory felt good to be in, at least he thought it was, but could he be wrong when he assumed it was good for her, too? There were a lot of things neither Donna nor Harvey had ever explicitly talked about were off-limits, but both knew there were things they better not touch. Literally. Had Harvey gone too far by being too physically close to her? His cheeks reddened when he thought back to the accidental boob grab when he walked her to the shower. Her words had haunted him for most of the night. _I really need to fight you off with a stick today. _Had she shown her true feelings right there and then and was kind enough to sugarcoat them? It wasn't like Donna to be anything other direct though.

Harvey was pulled from his thoughts when a paper ball landed on his left cheek.

"What the-?" he asked his associate.

"Harvey, I asked you four times what's going on with you. You didn't react," Mike defended himself.

"I was reading the brief!"

"Even old men like you don't need ten minutes for one page."

"Not everyone's a genius like you. I was being thorough," Harvey defended himself.

"You were distracted," insisted Mike.

"I was not," Harvey waved it off.

"Just call her when you miss her."

"I don't miss her," Harvey lied.

"Sure. Maybe that's why your cubicle is empty and you couldn't bring yourself to ask for a temp."

"A temp would only screw up her system."

"Can't you even say her name?" Mike asked curiously.

"What's it to you whose name I can and cannot say?"

"Seriously Harvey, there is no shame in liking a woman. Donna is amazing. It's a miracle you two have never been together," stated Mike.

Harvey's look went down on the brief again. He clenched his jaw as scenes from the infamous _other time_ flooded his brain.

"Holy shit!" Mike exclaimed. After a while he asked, "When?"

Harvey raised his eyes and glanced at Mike. He released a breath and swallowed. "It's been a while."

"What happened?" Mike asked.

"It was one night right before we started working here. I had just quit at the DA's office. There had been an... interest expressed on both sides prior to said night. But afterwards, I don't know. She was such an integral part of why I came to Pearson Hardman. Back then I thought I'd easily find someone who was as fantastic as her as my girlfriend. Ten years later, there still is no one greater than her."

For a moment, Mike thought he was dreaming. Since when was Harvey carrying his heart on his sleeve?

"Have you told her any of this?"

"No. I couldn't. Not after yesterday."

"What happened yesterday?" the younger man asked.

"Let's just say she made it pretty clear that she only wants a work relationship. Maybe I pushed too hard."

"What did you do?"

Again, Harvey sighed. "I was over at her place and she threw me out."

"I need more details."

"No, you don't. Go back to work," Harvey ordered.

The associate tried his hardest to focus back on the brief, but it was tough after everything Harvey had just laid out for him. He cleared his throat. "Um, can I ask you one question?"

Harvey responded with a look combined with a motion of his head to ask away.

"Why do you think you pushed too hard?"

The older man sighed. "I think I shouldn't have come over to her place every day. I'm not sure if it was a good idea to insist on being there and making sure she had everything she needed. She's Donna, for Christ's sake. She probably would have been fine without any of it."

"You've been there every day?"

"Yeah," Harvey confirmed, almost embarrassed for it now.

"Wow, you really take care of your employees," Mike mocked him.

"Shut up."

"I can't wait for what you'll do for me when I catch a cold," the associate said playfully.

"For someone whose entire future is depending on me, you sure don't know when to let things go."

"Shutting up now."

After a while the associate cleared his throat. "She alluded to this once."

"Donna did?" Harvey asked surprisedly.

Mike nodded. "When you told me not to pursue Rachel."

"What did she say?" Harvey asked with piqued interest.

"She told me to let her down easy. Then I asked her how I was supposed to work with Rachel after that and her reply was that the feelings eventually go away," Mike recalled.

Harvey closed his eyes and felt the pang in his heart. There it was. Proof that the window was firmly closed because Donna had gotten over him. It shouldn't have been such a surprise to Harvey. With all the things Donna had gotten to know about him over the years, he was sure she fell out of love at some point. If she ever was in love with him in the first place...

"At the time I hadn't really thought about the two of you as her point of reference. I'm sorry," the younger man told Harvey sincerely. After a few moments, Mike added, "Does this have anything to do with the can opener?"

The question earned him an exasperated look from his boss, so he decided to let it go and get back to work.

Later that day, when the sun had almost completely dipped below the horizon, Harvey decided to call it a night. When the day had started, he was sure he should tell Donna about his changed feelings for her. But after Mike's insight and still not having heard from her, he questioned everything. He needed to clear his head. In situations like these, when he needed to mull things over, he always went to small jazz clubs by himself. Sometimes he went to hear old friends of his dad's play, but tonight he went with the intent to get some clarification for his head and his heart. He knew that some people considered him a heartless bastard, but when he was listening to jazz and soul music, he allowed himself to feel everything that he more often than not shoved in the very back of his heart.

* * *

Donna called Rachel when she was waking up from her nap that had taken longer than planned.

"If it isn't my dear friend and colleague Harriet," the paralegal said giddily. "How are you doing?"

"I'm so much better, Michelle. Listen, can you do some spying for me?"

"Sure."

"Great. Could you check if Harvey is still in his office? I wanna surprise him at his apartment and I don't wanna wait around forever in case he pulls an all-nighter at work."

"Yeah, I can do that. I have to drop off some files for Louis, so I can walk by Harvey's office."

"You're the best," Donna said and hung up.

When Donna got Rachel's text _Office empty_ a couple minutes later, she got up from her bed, touched up her make-up and got dressed. The cab brought her directly to Harvey's apartment. With a grocery bag filled with popcorn, Chunky Monkey and the DVD of _A League of Their Own _Donna walked past Julio, the doorman, who gave her a nod and a smile. Julio didn't have to inform Harvey who was coming up, so he waved Donna through. She was as rarely in Harvey's home as he was in hers, at least prior to the last week, but she always knew which people to include in her annual holiday gift list.

When she got off the elevator she was hesitant to knock at first. She had a key to Harvey's place, but since she wasn't running an errand for him at the moment, she felt uncomfortable using it. For a moment she was pondering if she should do it anyway. The melting ice cream in the bag made her push away her doubts and she rapped her knuckles against the wooden barrier. Nervosity spread in her body when she couldn't hear anyone walk up to the door. Maybe he was in the bathroom. She waited a couple minutes before she knocked again. Nothing. Perhaps he was at work after all. He was possibly just fetching himself a cup of coffee when Rachel walked by. Donna considered leaving the popcorn and movie by his door so he could watch it by himself if he felt like it. She took her phone and texted Rachel.

_Sorry to bother you again, but are you sure Harvey isn't at work?_

The reply came an unbearably long three minutes later.

_Checked again. Not in his office, nor in Jessica's. _

Donna's heart sank. The thought had popped in her head before she got Rachel's text, but it only confirmed her suspicions. He must be on a date. Sadness written across her features, unsure feet carried Donna back to the elevator. She regretted not having brought a spoon from home, because she really needed some of that Chunky Monkey now.

* * *

_I hope it wasn't too angsty for you guys. Soon this angst will be behind us. So, what do you think: Should I keep this story strictly T-rated, or finish this with some smut? Please let me know in a review. Thanks for reading!_


	6. Chapter 6: Tuesday

**AN: **Hi everyone! Thank you so, so much for your kind reviews. I'm floored. I never would have thought I'd get this amazing feedback, but you guys are so welcoming. Also: The people have spoken. You demanded a smutty chapter at the end of this story, and who am I to deny you some Darvey lovin'? So we have one more chapter that will conclude the fic next week, and then I hope I'll be done with an M-rated bonus chapter the week after.

**Previously...** Donna wanted to drop by Harvey's place to surprise him with a movie night to thank him for having taken care of her while she was sick with the flu. But he wasn't there, which led her to the conclusion that he must be on a date. The truth was that Harvey went to a jazz club after work to clear his head.

* * *

**Tuesday. Or: Back And Forth**

Donna felt miserable. She wanted to slap herself for allowing those damn feelings to resurface only to be shattered. Again. Long forgotten her cold, she now felt heartbroken. She sighed and swung the duvet to the right side of the bed. As she walked in her kitchen, she felt mocked by everything he had brought into her apartment. The one year supply of citrus, the tea on her kitchen counter and the images of them having dinner at the table flashing in her head.

Why was she never learning a lesson with this man? Hasn't she felt bad enough over the years? Masking her jealousy by playfully asking about last night's conquest. Giving him guff about calling Zoe Lawford behind her back when she really was hurt by it. Faking happiness for him whenever Scottie was back in town. She was older now and supposedly wiser, but when it came to her heart, Donna was seemingly resistant to learning that lesson. Part of her thought it was because of her positivity in life. She had hope beyond hope sometimes. Maybe that was what made her so different from Harvey. He never allowed himself to hope for his own happiness. She assumed his profession contributed to that attitude in a major way. That, as well as his past with his family. On top of having seen how love had destroyed his father, Harvey was confronted with people who were damaged by others on a daily basis.

He had seemed so different in the last few days. He seemed happy. Perhaps happy because of having spent more time with Donna, or at least her vanity led her to believe just that. But, alas, of course he was seeing someone. Timing was never their strong suit. She was too familiar with his character as well as with his schedule to assume otherwise. Harvey only ever finished work early for two reasons, and she didn't know if basketball was in season. But on the other hand it hadn't escaped Donna that Harvey had changed his clothes on Sunday morning and she could swear there was a duffle bag in her entryway when she threw him out of her apartment. This meant that he planned ahead. For her. And she couldn't deny the look of pure hurt in his eyes when she asked him to leave. If he was really hurt by her, why would he go on a date the very next day? She was sure it was only disappointment on his side because of changed plans. Because if there was one thing Donna knew it was that he never fell in love with women. He said it himself. Caring makes you weak. Harvey hates to be weak, hence doesn't care about anyone. And like the time at her diner when he asked her to work for him, she felt rejected by him. Maybe he was _her_ weakness. But she knew from experience that she couldn't assume he was happy because of her. She had made that mistake once, and the bitter taste of that memory lingered in her mouth ever since.

Donna opened the refrigerator and wondered if it was too soon for her other weakness: a pint of Chunky Monkey. She pushed the self-pity away and squared her shoulders. She couldn't let the fact that Harvey wasn't interested in her destroy her. Just because he was on a date didn't mean all hope was lost. If he even was on a date. She didn't know that, nor could she possibly find out. And she quicky decided against grilling Julio about Harvey's whereabouts or when and with whom he had come home the night before. The thought was tempting though...

* * *

By the time Harvey had enough time to think about his situation with Donna, it was well in the afternoon of another exhausting day at work. He had already replayed their every conversation over the last couple days over and over in his head. Even his talks with his brother popped in there from time to time. Marcus had been right with two things: Harvey hadn't been so scared for someone's life since their father died five years ago, and he had the most stable relationship of his whole adult life with Donna. The more he thought about it, about _her_, the less could he shake the feeling that maybe the latter wasn't such a coincidence. Maybe he hated so much to make room for someone else in his life because that spot was already taken. Possibly it never worked with anyone else because everything worked so well between himself and Donna. Well, not _everything_, but in his memory that portion of their relationship, even when it was 10 years ago, had been pretty damn perfect.

And Harvey knew what perfect really meant, since he knew Donna back when she wasn't perfect all the time. He smiled as he thought of how she would react to such a notion. She would deny ever not being perfect and that he was projecting his own shortcomings onto her or simply forgetting the details from over a decade ago. But in all honestly, it was one thing he really admired about her. She constantly worked on herself and other than him, she never dreaded admitting a mistake. She'd gladly make a mistake if it meant she was improving herself and thusly avoided making the same mistake in the future.

The night before, when Harvey was listening to a jazz trio at the club, he pondered the situation. He was so sure she felt it, the shift. But then her words from a couple weeks ago haunted him._ I love you like a brother or a cousin._ Those words had thrown him off entirely. Was he too presumptuous to think she loved him? Part of him was always hoping she had a thing for him because that was the only thing that would explain why she was always so nice to him. And kicked his ass when it needed kicking. No money in the world could buy such undeniable loyalty. Harvey was hoping - strike that - clawing to the notion that Donna had only said it to save face. He liked being admired by women, but he didn't want them to love him. That spot was saved for Donna only. Everyone else who might claim to love him didn't know the whole picture. And maybe Donna didn't either, but she came pretty close.

In the same conversation where he rehired her, she also completely negated that she, in fact, had once told him that she loved him. Well, she _practically_ had told him as much. At the Pearson Hardman retreat. But they were more than tipsy, and Harvey knew Donna didn't necessarily mean it like that.

Right now he had two options. He could either keep being Donna's boss and longtime friend, or he could take a gamble and tell her how much he wanted to be more than that. He was so sick of not having everything he wanted in his personal life. He was at an age where these things mattered to him. And Harvey was someone who usually got what he wanted. All he had to do was gamble a little. Poker was one of his favorite games, so what did he have to lose? _Everything_, he thought. He could lose everything. It was a gamble he never wanted to risk taking. If she said no, there would be an awkward phase afterwards, but maybe they could get through it. Ultimately, it was better than not telling her and staying alone - and more importantly _lonely_. One-night stands with faceless women didn't seem thrilling or satisfying for him at the moment. Not after the last week. Harvey was ready for more, he _needed_ more.

They barely talked about these things, but he was assuming Donna wanted more as well. He was hoping it was with him. Ever since he saw that she kept a picture of them at the Pearson Hardman retreat, he knew he could have a chance. That _they_ could have a chance. There weren't many other photographs scattered about her place, and he doubted it was without purpose that she picked a photo of that specific night, a night where they were happy and a bit hammered and about a millimeter away from sleeping together again.

He was so sick obsessing over her. He needed clarity. But, he still had to get his work done. Harvey sighed and dove back into the Folsom Food case.

* * *

Later that night Donna took her phone to call Rachel. Asking Harvey's doorman Julio was off-limits, but maybe the paralegal could provide her with some information. On one hand, Donna didn't want to pursue the matter because she knew it was taking it too far, but at the same time she knew she only had one more day before she had to show up at the office again, and she preferred having all the facts she needed in order to act accoringly.

"Hi Donna," said Rachel cheerily.

"Hey Rach, how's it going?"

"It's going fine, though you probably know about the Folsom Food case," Rachel sighed.

"I do. It must be stressful," Donna replied, her voice full of empathy.

"It is."

"I'll be coming back to work on Wednesday, so I'll be able to help soon."

"That's good to hear. What's new with you?" Rachel asked, grateful for the change of topic.

"Same old, same old. My cold is getting better, and I realized I'm in love with Harvey, so..." Donna said noncommitally.

"Donna!" Rachel almost shrieked. "Tell me what happened!"

"Well, he was here every day until Sunday, and he took care of me. I should know better, but he was with me through it all, Rachel. I couldn't help it," Donna shrugged.

"Oh my God! What are you gonna do?" asked Rachel. She sounded half-serious, half-excited for her friend.

"What _can_ I do? Nothing."

"Why do you say that?"

"Because I _know_ I can't do anything. I know he's probably seeing someone and that's why he wasn't at home last night. Besides, it wouldn't be the first time that we got closer and I somehow had to recover from that. I know he cares about me, but I can't let that cloud my judgment. Because he doesn't care about me in _that_ way."

"Wait, how do you know he was out with somebody?"

"It's Harvey, Rachel. He's not the type to go out by himself. And even if he were, he's certainly not the type to come _home_ by himself. He's the cockiest motherfucker anyone has seen."

"I don't know, Donna. We don't know where he was last night or with whom he was out. Not everyone screws random women," Rachel said and desperately tried not to sound bitter, which she didn't fully succeed at.

"Oh Rachel," Donna said. She was hurting for her friend who felt betrayed by Mike. She tried to lighten the mood. "Well, Harvey certainly wasn't mudding with Louis," said Donna and the two chuckled at the image. "Anyway, I still want to make it up to him for being there for me. So tomorrow night, I'm cooking for him. As a surprise. And I can't do it here. I need to get out of this place."

"OK, I need to tell you something. He told me not to, but I don't care. He asked me what he could do to make you feel better, and I told him how much you like the breakfast at _Céline's_. And I was also the one who told him about Katrina's cookies. He really cares about you, Donna. And not in a normal employer-employee relationship kinda way. He was honestly worried about you. We all were. But I've never seen him like this," explained Rachel.

Donna swallowed. It wasn't new to her how much he tried to be there for her, she just was unaware of the extend of it all. "He brought me croissants and raspberry jam from_ Céline's_," she said meekly.

"I know. He already told me."

"Huh. Interesting," observed Donna.

"What?"

"It's interesting to me that Harvey talked to you about it after the fact. Why would he do that?" Donna wondered.

"I can make a few guesses," Rachel alluded.

"Don't say that Rachel, it's too much like the best friend in a romcom. I have to be careful with Harvey. I don't need more encouragement to dream about it all," she cautioned.

"I'm sorry..."

"It's OK. You just said out loud what half my brain says at any time. But the other half keeps track of the many instances where he backpedaled," Donna explained.

"I just wanna see someone actually succeed at relationships."

"It'll get better. Mike will see that sleeping with a married woman isn't the end-all be-all. He's hurting."

"I'm aware. Hurting people hurt people," Rachel reasoned.

"Exactly."

"I can't wait for you to come back to work," the paralegal said almost sadly.

"Me too. I'll return the day after tomorrow."

"What are you gonna do about Harvey?"

"As I said, I'll go over there for a little surprise dinner. And after that we'll have to talk. But I'm gonna be honest. I don't think I can throw caution to the wind with him. Ever."

"I get that. On Thursday you can tell me how it went."

"You bet."

"Good night, Donna."

"Nighty night," Donna said and hung up.

* * *

Harvey came home late that night and threw his keys on the kitchen counter. He discarded his jacket and waistcoat, and loosened his tie. As he walked over to his drink cart he scanned the Manhattan skyline and had to smile. He had achieved quite a bit in his life. He was professionally successful and he could buy all the things he liked. Rare records, expensive cars, the best clothes. And yet he had no idea how to lead a successful relationship. His brother's voice popped back in his head. _It's not a coincidence that Donna is the person with whom you have the most stable relationship in your life. _Has Harvey been mistaken? Was he indeed having a functional relationship with her? He didn't know. But he knew that if he was, it was mostly to Donna's credit. She made it work much more than the other way round. Now that he was thinking about it, their annual dinner at _Del Posto_ was the closest thing to a couple's anniversary he ever celebrated. And it was an intimate ritual he treasured.

He poured himself a drink and stepped out on the terrace for a minute to let his gaze wander to the city lights. One thing was for sure. Harvey needed to talk to Donna about how much things had changed over the last week. With a hint of shame on his face he only then realized that it took Donna getting sick before he called his brother for the first time in months. He stayed out, lost in thought, until he shivered from the cold air. And as he stepped back into his living room, he knew that he'd love nothing more than to be warmed by her.

* * *

_I know, you must hate me now. Again no Donna-Harvey scene. But this is the last chapter without them interacting! Next week you'll get plenty of that Darvey goodness. Did you like this chapter anyway? Then write me a review and let me know what you thought. _


	7. Chapter 7: Wednesday

**AN: **Guys! I'm back with the final (well, kinda) chapter to this story. It's a long one! The smutty addendum will be posted in a couple of days. I tried to keep this T-rated, though I saw that in this fandom the ratings aren't quite as strict as I know it from others. Sex is M-rated elsewhere, and I wanna keep it that way. Anyway, **thanks** to everyone who took their time to read, review and fave this story. You're awesome! I hope it didn't show too much that I'm not a native speaker and had no beta for this story.

In the description I wrote this story takes place after _Zane vs. Zane_, but I've taken some liberties with the timeline. Donna already slapped Hardman, and the scene where she tells Harvey about it is actually the reason why I wrote this fic in the first place. Harvey simply doesn't see her when Jessica walks to the elevator, and I can never take it when I rewatch. I had to do something about it and came up with this storyline. Sorry for the ramble.

**Previously... **there was a radio silence between Harvey and Donna after a couple of days where he stayed with her while she had the flu. Both are stubborn and spent two days just admiring the problem instead of talking to each other. The drought it over, and talk to each other they will!

* * *

**Wednesday. Or: Tough Negotiations**

A knock on his door made him put his phone away. It was time to let work be work and relax a little after a fourteen hour day anyway. Harvey was wondering who would be facing him before he opened the door. Normally Julio didn't let anyone he didn't know in. He was just hoping it wasn't his strange new neighbor who could give Louis a run for his money again.

The door swung open and there she stood. Breathtakingly beautiful. He said her name, half in bewilderment, half in curiosity.

"Hello, Harvey. Can I come in?" she asked. Donna felt slightly nervous, but tried her best to not let it show. To leave the flu behind, she had a me day. Blow-out, mani-pedi and she also rewarded herself with a new purse.

He felt his heart hammering in his chest. "Sure," he mumbled as he stepped aside to let her in the dimly-lit apartment.

Only then did he see the bags she was carrying, one in each hand. His brow furrowed.

"This isn't an early surprise birthday party, is it?" he groaned as she put the bags down on his kitchen counter.

"No. This is just for us. For you, actually," said Donna as she was unbuttoning her coat and putting it over one of the bar stools.

"What did I do?"

"Well, I thought after all you've done for me it was about time I did something nice for you. Have you eaten?" she asked with a smile.

"No, I haven't. Donna, you don't have to do anything in return. I, uh, I liked that I could be there for you," he said sincerely.

"Who wouldn't enjoy my company? But seriously, please let me do this. I threw you out of my apartment after you've been so great to me. This is the least I can do."

"OK. How can I help?" Harvey offered.

"I don't really need help. But I wouldn't mind some company. Here," she said as she grabbed a bottle of wine from one of the bags. "Open this and pour us a glass."

Harvey did as he was told. He was still a bit incredulous. It also surprised him that she straight out talked about her throwing him out on Sunday. He watched her unpack her bags. She produced an apron and tied it around her slim waist to protect her dress. He couldn't believe she had picked _the_ dress. The same one she wore on her first day back after he had rehired her, as well as the one he saw in the picture taken at the Pearson Hardman retreat five years ago. He smiled as he saw her pull thin metal tongs as well as a citrus zester out of the bag.

"You travel with your own kitchen utensils?" he asked her, his smile spanning from ear to ear.

"You never know how well-equipped other people's kitchens are. You're not a cook, and I need both of those items to prepare the food," Donna explained as she got started on the meal prep.

"What are you cooking?" he wanted to know before he took a sip of the well-tempered Riesling. He checked the label to busy his hands.

"Baked salmon with crispy skin on bell peppers and spring onions, rice on the side. And I got banana pudding from Magnolia bakery for dessert," she informed him and took the glass he was pushing over the counter.

He nodded approvingly. He liked having her in his apartment for a change. "Do you want me to put on some music?" he offered. He needed to busy himself or he'd go insane from the awkwardness.

"Sure," said Donna as she zested a lemon over the skin-less underside of the fish.

Harvey walked to his turntable and put on Miles Davis. The scratched one. He could never get rid of it. Too many memories were attached to it. She arched her eyebrow when she heard the first tunes. Donna watched him with interest as he went to the fireplace next to light it. He came back and sat on a stool opposite her.

"You haven't been to my place in a while," he remarked. He was desperate for _something_ to talk about.

Donna was gracious enough to reply, since she could detect his nervousness. _Why was he so nervous_, she wondered. "Remember when you bought it?"

"Oh, I remember. That was quite a show you put on," he grinned as he remembered her playing an angry ex-girlfriend in front of the realtor to make sure Harvey would get the apartment.

"That agent had to sell it to you after that. He truly felt sorry for you."

"As he well should! You slapped me in front of three other prospective buyers!" he chuckled.

"I had to. I needed you to react genuinely surprised in order to make it more real. That was possibly one of the most satisfying things I've ever done. But still not as satisfying as slapping Hardman. Twice," she grinned triumphantly.

She looked beautiful to him in that moment. Sometimes he was wondering how he got his work done with her in such close proximity.

"You deserved that slap, too," she exclaimed in feigned seriousness.

"How?" he asked, astonished that she would say something like that.

"You slept with your assistant!" she said as she briefly slipped back into character.

"Which was you!" he clarifed, which left them chuckling.

He cleared his throat. "Your flu seems to be gone," he remarked as his eyes descended on the label of the wine bottle again.

"Yeah."

"Didn't you say you wanted to call me on Monday?" he asked her then, his eyes finding hers.

She released a breath after putting the salmon in the oven and setting a timer. "I did. I wanted to. But my doctor said something that made me change my mind."

"What?" he asked, almost afraid of her reply.

"She said that I've been taking good care of myself, and I realized I really hadn't because it was all you," Donna swallowed before adding, "And then a phone call seemed insufficient. I decided to come by for a surprise visit. But you weren't there. And, I don't know, I felt really stupid, Harvey."

"Wait, when was this?" asked Harvey, his brow furrowed.

"Monday."

"I was out."

"I know," she said bitterly and turned around to busy her hands with the rice on the stove.

Harvey sensed something was off all of a sudden and rounded the kitchen island to stand next to her. "Donna?"

She faced him, but remained silent.

"What's wrong?" he asked worriedly.

"I felt really shitty when you weren't here. And I hate myself for admitting this to you, but I felt something. You were so nice to me, and I know that you almost always are, but this time it felt _different_. But when you weren't here on Monday, it hit me that you will never see me like this, and that I'll always want to be seen like that. By you."

Harvey swallowed, and slightly shook his head afterwards.

"What?" she asked.

"You just summed up my feelings towards you," he admitted softly.

"What?" she repeated incredulously, her eyes darting to his.

"I _always_ saw you like that, but when we first met you immediately crushed my advances. Hiring you was the only way for you to be close to me."

"Bullshit! By hiring me you kept me at arm's length!" Donna said loudly and fiercely.

"Maybe I did," he admitted meekly. After a while he added, "It felt different for me, too."

Her heartrate doubled after that comment and again she clawed on the last bit of hope she had inside herself.

He touched her shoulders with both hands, a gesture so uncommon for them that it almost made her uncomfortable. "On Monday night I went to _Smalls_ to clear my head. I do that sometimes. Because as you might remember the night before didn't end so well."

"I know," she admitted and gave the rice a quick stir. She knew Harvey had practically outsourced his emotions to the music he was listening to, but she hadn't known of his trips to clubs on his own. "I guess I should explain why. Which is why I came here in the first place." She inhaled a breath for confidence. "I threw you out because I couldn't take it anymore."

His face fell.

"No, that's not what I meant. I couldn't take you being so nice to me, taking care of me, being there for me unconditionally, going above and beyond. I knew it would be the hardest transition for me to go back to our professional relationship, so I pushed you away," she explained with glassy eyes and a slight tremble in her voice. His voice still echoing in her head._ I need you. _When all she wanted to hear was _I want you_, or possibly _I love you_.

His hands stroked down her bare arms and took her hands. "Why do you think I want to go back?"

"Because that's what we do, Harvey," she said a bit too loudly and freed her hands from his. She walked back to the oven to check on the fish. Then she started pacing back and forth while she elaborated. "We sleep together for one night and then we go back. We flirt all the time and we go back. You make a casual marriage proposal as I hand you your morning coffee and we go back. You mention you think about how I sleep and never mention it again. And I let it happen because I _love_ it when you do all of those things. But this time I don't think I could have gone back so easily. Because you did so much more than those things. I saw it on your face, Harvey, that look of horror when you were worried about me. But then I also realized that you probably don't wanna lose me as your _secretary,_ and that hurt. It hurt so much!"

Harvey listened as she was listing the things that made her act that way and throw him out of her apartment. Her face was red with anger, and she stopped pacing to look at him. He slowly walked closer to her. He felt horrible for upsetting her, for hurting her like that. He couldn't recall a time when he's seen her like that.

"I'm sorry, Harvey. I lost my temper. I came here to apologize, and it turned to accusations. I didn't mean to make you feel even worse." There it was again. The impulse to mask her true feelings for his benefit. She wanted to slap herself.

He gulped down non-existent saliva because his mouth was dry. "You're right with everything you said. Please accept my apology for making you feel this way. I'm sorry, Donna. You're so much more than a secretary. None of the things I did for you in the past week or ever were motivated by the wish to keep you as my secretary. I was genuinely worried about you. I told you it felt different for me this time. I also asked why you thought I wanted to go back," he said calmly as he neared her. "I don't wanna go back."

"You don't?" she asked incredulously, her pulse racing so fast she considered it unhealthy.

"I don't. I want to go forward. With you. With us. I was so scared when you were sick. But how can I be scared to lose you when I never had you in the first place? I want to be with you. Every day. Not just at work. Working with you is great, but actually _being_ with you? I've never felt more carefree and happy than in the couple days I spent with you. Everything seems to come so easy with us. You're the most amazing woman I know, and it was about time I pulled my head out of my ass and opened my eyes. I see you, Donna," Harvey told her as he took her hands back into his. "And I don't think it's a coincidence that you're wearing that damn dress tonight," he grinned.

"It's not," she smiled, as she almost shyly tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. His words had sent her heartrate on a rollercoaster. Everything he had just said sounded too good to be true.

"Can I kiss you now?" Harvey asked. She gave him the slightest of nods, and he dipped his head to press his lips to hers.

It was the gentlest of kisses, but it had her toes curled and her heart hammering in no time. She put her hands around his neck and stepped closer to him.

"Just for the record: You didn't go on a date on Monday night?" she asked, breaking their hesitant, yet sweet kiss.

"No," he said about an octave too high.

"And you didn't go out by yourself and came home with someone?"

"No!" he said more forcefully.

"Good. Just making sure," Donna said and she granted him access to her mouth.

He tickled her lips with his tongue before it slipped in and danced with hers. Her hands went to his hair, his descended on her back before they settled on her waist. A moan escaped Donna's throat when they deepened the kiss. The sound sent a shiver down Harvey's spine. They were torn out of their passionate kiss when the timer beeped.

"No," he groaned. He was almost out of breath.

"Yes," she insisted, adding, "Or do you wanna eat burnt salmon skin?"

"Eating is not what's on my mind right now," he told her.

She turned around to the oven where she removed the tray. She put it on the counter and expertly loosened the edges of the skin with the metal tongs and a knife. Harvey watched her with fascination.

"Is there anything you _can't_ do?" he asked with a curious smile.

"No," she replied confidently. She flipped the skin over so the underside would get crispy as well, seasoned it with salt and pepper, and placed the tray back under the broiler. She reset the timer and stirred the rice once more.

"What now?" he asked.

"Set the table?"

When he came back a couple minutes later, he asked, "How much longer?"

Donna checked the timer. "Five more minutes."

He pulled her towards him and kissed her again. Every hair on her body stood on end when he pulled her flush against his chest. Her appreciative moan spurred him on, and he kissed his way across her cheek to her jaw. Soon he found his destination on her neck where her scent crept into his nose and made him weak in the knees. She smelled like peonies and freshly cut rhubarb.

"You smell amazing," he whispered into her ear, his fingers threading through her fragrant hair.

"Hm."

"And you look hot," Harvey continued, his voice almost raspy.

"Likewise," she replied.

Harvey's hands wandered from her waist up her sides where they halted right under her breasts. He sucked the tender skin on her neck into his mouth and soon soothed it with his tongue.

"Harvey," Donna moaned. It drove him wild. Her saying his name, her eyes closed in pure bliss.

She clawed at his back, eager to pull him even closer.

"You drive me crazy," she mumbled.

"Ditto," he said between kisses.

"Do you think you can handle stopping for half an hour so we can eat?" she asked him after she had pulled back.

"I'll make no promises," he grinned.

Eventually they had to stop because the timer beeped again. She sent Harvey to the dining room nook as she arranged their food on plates. When she carried them over to the table, she saw he had taken out some candle holders and lit the candles.

"Wow," Donna commented. "An hour ago your apartment looked like a regular bachelor pad."

"And now?" he asked with his Specter smirk, trying not to take her statement as an insult.

"Now it looks like you think you'll get lucky tonight."

"Will I?" Harvey asked, his cockiness very obvious.

"We'll see," she replied noncommittally.

After dinner, they found themselves on the couch. With a respectable distance between them.

"So, it seems like we've come to an agreement," said Harvey in a very lawyer kind of tone.

"We have. It was a tough negotiation," said Donna in feigned honesty.

"It was," he nodded.

"What about an addendum?" she suggested.

"What you got in mind?"

"Well, for one, we need to figure out how we're gonna do this at work," Donna said with a hint of concern in her voice.

"Oh, I have already figured it out. You, me, the couch in my office after hours..." he said lasciviously.

"I'll have to stop you right there. Harvey, we can't do that," she insisted in a no-nonsense tone of voice.

"A man can dream," he smirked.

"I've had that rule for good reasons. For one, neither of us needs the distraction. Plus, I don't wanna do it on your couch with my butt sticking to the leather."

Harvey's gaze wandered to the couch they were sitting on. "I guess this means this couch is off-limits as well."

"Yup."

"What if it wasn't your butt but mine instead that's sticking to the leather?" he asked her with a playful tone.

"Why do you wanna have sex on a couch in the first place?" she asked in bewilderment.

"Why not?" he shrugged.

"We're older than 25. And we both have beds. If you really wanna do it on a couch, we could do it at my place. But I'd still prefer a bed. More space."

"Noted. So, what about work?" he asked while he made plans to buy a new couch as soon as his busy schedule allowed.

"I don't think we should have sex or even kiss at work."

"Donna, I'm not saying I wanna take you in the lobby, what I had in mind was more... intimate."

"There is no intimacy in an office with glass walls. And windows," she pointed out.

"What if I wanna kiss you late at night when no one's around?"

"We'll go home, you wait till we're in a car, and then you can do it," she stated matter-of-factly.

"How about we'll go home and I kiss you in the elevator?"

"Only when we're alone in there," Donna insisted.

"Alright. What else?" asked Harvey.

"We're not telling anyone that we're seeing each other. It's none of their business anyway."

"I need to tell Jessica," he said.

"And Rachel."

"And Mike."

"Which means Louis will find out," she reasoned.

"So?"

"I don't want him to know you're screwing your secretary. It's too much like Blake and Krystle Carrington."

Harvey furrowed his brow.

"From Dynasty," she clarified.

"Never saw it."

"Louis one hundred percent did."

"Shocker," Harvey deadpanned.

"OK, focus. Louis wrote the by-laws. Relationships among colleagues are frowned upon," Donna told him.

"I don't care if he knows. What is he gonna do if he finds out? Fire you? He has no authority to do that. Besides, 'frowned upon' doesn't equal illegal," Harvey clarified.

"I don't know, Harvey. You might have to do something to appease him," Donna suggested carefully.

"Like?"

"Like me working for him?"

"You must be kidding."

"What if I'm not?"

"Donna. No!" Harvey just got Donna back, he wasn't willing to share her with anyone.

"Listen to me. You know how hard Louis fought to be in charge of writing the by-laws. He might be on our side if we threw him a bone," she said, her fingers stroking his cheek and jaw.

"And you'd be the bone?"

"I guess..."

"I don't want Louis chewing you."

"First of all: gross. Second of all, have you ever considered how it might look when we work this closely together as a couple? I don't want anyone to think I don't need to work as hard just because I'm sleeping with my boss."

"No one's gonna think that."

"_Everyone_'s gonna think that. I'm a woman. Maybe it wouldn't be so if I weren't, but I am. I say we come clean to Jessica and Louis and tell them what we came up with."

"You really think Louis wants you to work for him when you go to him voluntarily?"

"He's not as prideful as you are. Plus, he's been wanting to fire Norma ever since she started working for him."

He sighed and looked at her hopeful face. "OK, we can suggest it to Jessica. But I won't like it. And Louis doesn't deserve you."

"Then again, who really does deserve me?" she said with a voice like butter.

Harvey kissed her gently. He wasn't sure if he deserved her either. But he was hoping he would show to be deserving of her.

"I hope I will someday," he told her sincerely.

She looked at him then. Though completely happy with his devotion she still was a bit surprised by his unwavering commitment in that moment. She smiled at him.

"I have another addendum," she purred.

"Shoot."

"I demand a stubble."

"What?" he asked her confusedly.

"Your face. I loved the stubble," she smiled.

"You did?" he returned her smile and scooted closer to her.

"Uh-huh. You looked kinda hot," she said while stroking across his smooth jaw and chin.

"But just a stubble. I don't wanna go full-on Jack Soloff."

"I hate his smarmy ass."

"I agree to forego shaving over the weekend, how does that sound?" he suggested.

"Sounds like we have a deal."

"Can I kiss you now?"

"You do know that you don't have to ask my permission every time you're about to do it?" she asked him curiously.

"I'm just making sure you're comfortable!" he rolled his eyes.

"Who knew you could be so sensible and caring?" she mocked him.

"You did," he replied softly.

"True. I know everything," she said and closed the gap between them to kiss him with all her heart.

He kissed her back with passion, but her words echoed in his head.

"You don't know everything," he said when the need for oxygen had gotten too important.

"Excuse me?" Donna asked. She almost sounded insulted.

"You didn't know how I feel about you."

"So? You didn't know how I feel about you either. And how many times have you told Mike or anyone else for that matter how well you can read other people?"

"You're not other people. You're Donna."

"What does that mean?" she wanted to know with her forehead in a frown.

"It means you're a hell of an actress. How was I supposed to know that you were only playing to not be interested in me?"

"Huh. You might be right," Donna concluded as his words settled.

"I mostly am," he said casually and shot her a cocky grin.

"I really like your humility," Donna said with sarcasm dripping from her voice.

"And I really like you in that dress," he smiled sexily.

"You should see me without it," she teased.

His hands circled her waist to pull her closer. "I can't wait."

"Perhaps you don't have to wait all that long..."

* * *

Hours later, when moans were replaced by hums and hums gave way to more even breaths, she lifted her head and gave him an almost chaste kiss. Both took trips to the bathroom afterwards, but Harvey didn't come back to bed immediately. Instead he made a detour to the record player where he flipped the Miles Davis record. When he returned to her, they were facing each other in a tight embrace. While his hold on her was not as strong as a couple minutes ago, he still hugged her and kissed every inch of her face, neck and chest he could reach.

"I have no words," she said then.

He scoffed. "That would be the first. Should I give you some examples? How about amazing?"

"Mind-blowing," she countered.

"Earth-shattering," Harvey suggested.

"Unparalleled."

"Indescribable."

"How about the _best_?" Donna said, his heart swelling to unknown dimensions.

"Best?" he asked his raised eyebrows.

"Best," she assured.

"So it's downhill from here?"

"No, we got room for improvement," she said casually to tease him.

"Like?"

"Like you letting me do stuff with just my hands and mouth."

He was surprised by her openness, yet he knew Donna was nothing if not open about most things. "We have time for that later. I didn't want tonight to be about me."

"How noble of you."

"I'd say so," he gave her a genuine smile.

"I have another improvement," Donna suggested while scooting closer to him.

"Shoot."

"We need to move that bed of yours to the other side of the room."

"Why?"

"Who puts their bed in the way of a view like that?" she asked him and motioned to the skyline right behind his headboard.

"I do."

"You do many stupid things."

"I made you scream my name twice in an hour and you're already nagging me about the arrangement of my furniture?"

"Add to that the years and years where I've kept my mouth shut. I'd say I've shown a great deal of restraint so far."

"At least in that department..." he smiled at the memory of what had just happened.

"So?"

"So what?"

"Are you gonna move it to that wall?" she asked and motioned to her right.

"We'll see."

"How can I make you change your mind?"

"I don't know."

"I'm pretty sure someone was watching us from the other building."

"OK, we'll move it in the morning."

After their exchange a comfortable silence settled between them. Donna's right hand slowly stroked up and down his back, from his shoulder blade to the dimples above his butt, while his played with her hair. In the darkness of his bedroom, she saw the tiniest smile playing at his lips.

"What?" she asked him to explain what caused this smile.

His smile widened before he pressed a tender kiss to her now barely swollen lips. "Nothing, it's just that I never would have thought our first time could be topped."

Her hazel eyes bored into his brown ones. Her heart started racing. She felt like running out on his terrace and screaming in pure happiness. All those doubts that were locked away in a compartment of her brain for an entire decade were successfully crushed and his words made her feel more secure, confident and sexy than she had ever felt. Her smile put his to shame, and Harvey didn't know what to make of her reaction. She almost seemed like in trance.

"Donna?"

"Hm? Oh. I, uh, I don't know what to say, Harvey. I feel so freaking relieved," she beamed. Knowing that he never considered their first time to be subpar made her feel like the queen of sex.

"Because of what I said?" he wondered.

"Yes," she said and swallowed. Should she come clean? Her hand halted its movement in his back before she moved it to his face.

He got a bit nervous. She seemed to be about to confess something to him he wasn't sure he'd want to hear. "Well?"

"Back when we slept together all those years ago, I wasn't all too sure if you had enjoyed it," she told him. Her eyes piercing his, waiting for his reaction.

"You're kidding, right?"

"I'm really not," she said and took a breath. "When you asked to meet me and offered me a job, it was basically sealed for me that you didn't think our night together was worth repeating."

Harvey shook his head. He couldn't believe how much he'd hurt her over the years. He gently kissed her then, hoping to erase the memory she just described. "After that night, how could you doubt I had enjoyed it? If anything, you pretty much spoiled me for others."

"Stop. You don't mean that."

"If it really were true and I didn't like our night, why do you think I was more than ready for a repeat at the Pearson Hardman retreat five years ago?"

"I don't know. We were really tipsy. And we both know your memory isn't the best sometimes."

"Donna," he said and ran his fingers along her cheek. "I remember everything from that night. And for the record, I offered you the job for one reason only: You're the best and I knew that a screw-up like me couldn't make you happy back then. But working together, well, _kept_ us together."

"Until you were ready."

"Exactly."

"Are you ready?"

"God yes," he said and chuckled. "Are you?"

"I was ready then, and I'm more than ready now."

"Good. I hope you'll be able to forgive me for stringing you along. Which is why I was so hesitant in the first place. I was afraid I had hurt you too much," he confessed. After a long while of silence he asked her quietly, "Have I?"

"Perhaps you have. But I'm tough. All's well that ends well," she replied. She also remained silent for a moment before she added, "Why did you wait so long?"

He swallowed and took a breath of air. "This is not something I ever wanted to voice to anyone. For the longest time I didn't think I'd deserve to be loved."

"Why would you think that?"

"Look at me. I'm working in a field where I constantly hurt people. I'm sure there's a special place in hell reserved for me. And on top of that, I wasn't sure if I even wanted to love someone. After everything with my parents..." he couldn't bring myself to finish the sentence. Donna knew what he was going to say. She always knew.

She never expected his insecurities to run that deep though. "So, what changed?"

"It might sound corny, but I really couldn't help it. I couldn't _not_ love you, Donna."

She kissed him gently. "You're such a sap!"

"The one time I'm open about my feelings..."

"I'm sorry. You deserve to be loved. I love you too, you know?" she told him then.

He was relieved at her admission. "I'm really glad you got sick. Everything became so clear. What have we been doing, Donna?"

She looked at him in true Donna fashion then. "We've been getting so close that we became inevitable."

Harvey crushed his lips against hers. He would never let her go.

* * *

_Before I ask for a review, let me share something I noticed. Maybe it's nothing, maybe it was discussed years ago, but here it goes. In early season four Rachel suggests to Mike they go out to a restaurant called The Little Owl. I researched it, and it's a restaurant in the building whose exterior was shot for Friends as *the* building where Rachel, Monica, Chandler and Joey lived. Friends. Ross and Rachel. Suits. Mike Ross and Rachel. Coincidence? Thoughts?_

_Thanks so much for reading, please leave me a little comment if you will :-)_


	8. Chapter 8: Wednesday After Dark (M-rated

**AN:** *drumroll* It's here! The much requested smutty addendum to my little fic. As you will see, I embedded the action in the last chapter. Some requested it to be very smutty. I don't know if I fulfilled your expectations, but I did my best. **Thank you**, thank you, thank you for all your kind reviews, follows and faves. You guys are the best!

This chapter is M-rated, so you were warned!

* * *

**Wednesday. After Dark.**

He kissed her back with a passion that she had never experienced before, but her words echoed in his head.

"You _don't_ know everything," he said when the need for oxygen had gotten too important.

"Excuse me?" Donna asked. She almost sounded insulted.

"You didn't know how I feel about you."

"So? You didn't know how I feel about you either. And how many times have you told Mike or anyone else for that matter how well you can read other people?"

"You're not other people. You're Donna," he told her with raised eyebrows.

"What does that mean?"

"It means you're a hell of an actress. Aside from you telling me that you weren't in love with me, how was I supposed to know that you were only playing to not be interested in me?"

"Huh. You might be right," she concluded as his words settled.

"I mostly am," he said casually and shot her a cocky grin.

"I really like your humility," Donna said with sarcasm dripping from her voice.

"And I really like you in that dress," he smiled sexily.

"You should see me without it," she teased.

His hands circled her waist to pull her closer. "I can't wait."

"Perhaps you don't have to wait all that long..."

Harvey let her words hang in the air for a second. He felt so happy in that moment. And giddy. And extremely turned on by both her words and appearance. He pressed his lips to hers, but this time didn't wait until she granted him access to her mouth. He snaked his tongue between her lips. She groaned at his impatience, while at the same time loving his fervor. Finally he saw her and was more than willing to satisfy all her needs. She couldn't believe they were finally there. Donna felt his hands on her waist and willed them higher.

She broke their kiss. "Not to reopen those negotiations from before, but we are currently on your couch. What do you say we move this to the bedroom, where we have more space?"

"More space, huh? More space for what exactly?" he teased her.

She raised her left eyebrow in delight before leaning in to whisper in his ear. "More space to make you come."

Her words triggered a wave of lust that coursed through his body with lightning speed. Harvey got up from the couch to extend both of his hands and help her up. She let him pull her close to him, her hands first in his hair, then slowly descending down his back before settling on the firm cheeks of his ass. Having moved her hair out of the way with one hand, he placed open-mouthed kisses on her neck and groaned when she used her leverage to pull him even closer to her to slowly grind her hips into his.

He hissed before he whispered her name, the assault on his senses too much. Slowly he moved them in the general direction of his bedroom.

"You have no idea how much I've been wanting to take that dress off you," he mumbled into her neck, his eyes closed.

"Tonight's your lucky night," Donna replied with a very sultry tone of voice.

She walked backwards and pulled him with her, their mouths never breaking contact. Donna made quick work of the buttons on his shirt, her touch causing goosebumps on his body. When she had freed him of the offending garment, she finally could roam his toned chest with her hands. Her eyes found his, a gleam of amusement in his.

"What?" she asked.

"Here I thought_ I_ was the impatient one..."

"Ten years, Harvey," she said, surprised by her words, yet glad she could utter them. "You have no idea what I've been wanting to do in a decade of just being able to look at you."

He shot her an honest smile. He'd be lying if he said the same wasn't true for him. "Likewise."

Harvey grabbed her shoulders and turned her around. She was now facing his bed. He moved the thick curtain of hair out of his way and planted gentle kisses on the side of her neck while his fingers fumbled with the zipper of her dress. Her impatience grew together with the anticipation of what was about to happen. Only when the fabric of her dress pooled at her feet did Harvey allow himself to touch her skin. His hands slid down her arms before they moved to her stomach. Donna was almost shivering under his touch, her eyes pinched closed. Harvey ran his hands up where they made contact with the cups of her pale lavender bra. She moaned loudly and dropped her head back on his shoulder. Her nipples hardened in response to his fingers gently pinching them. But he needed more, needed to feel her skin. His hands found the clasp on the back of her bra and deftly opened it before carefully peeling the cups from her body. Donna felt his unmistakably growing arousal against her ass, which made her turn back around to face him. His eyes were almost black with lust, matched only by the need visible in hers.

Donna kissed Harvey impatiently while his warm hands finally made contact with her bare breasts. He felt their weight in his hands, massaged them, and pinched her nipples between his thumb and forefinger.

"God," she moaned quietly and nearly stumbled over her dress.

She quickly stepped out of her heels and kicked them out of the way. Her hands now on the zipper of his pants, she opened the fly and was met with his manhood. Harvey closed his eyes in pleasure, her ministrations nearly causing him to come there and then. She stroked him over his boxers when she heard him hiss again. Harvey knew he had to take the reins, and soon, or he would embarrass himself. He kissed her sweetly, then his tongue went to explore the rest of her body. It blazed a trail of want and need across her jaw before his head dipped lower. Only quickly did he suck on her pulse point before his tongue left the spot to connect each and every freckle on her chest. His entire universe was in those freckles, and he couldn't help but taste every single one. The closer he got to the valley between her breasts, the tighter her grip on his head became. Donna felt the overwhelming need to guide him further down, but through all the brain fog her arousal had brought, she was still curious what he was going to do with her.

When they reached the edge of his bed, Donna wanted nothing more than to be freed of her underwear, but Harvey had other ideas. First, he took off his pants before he pulled her close to him for another searing kiss. Her bottom lip still between both of his, his hands roamed her back where they descended to settle on her ass. He played with the top of her panties, running his fingers under the waistband with the sole purpose of driving her crazy with anticipation.

"Harvey," she whined.

"Patience," he urged her as his tongue finally reached her hard nipple. He sucked it in his mouth while he caressed her other breast with his right hand. He switched places after an eternity and a half, which had Donna writhing in pleasure. Still standing up this entire time, she wanted nothing more than getting laid, in both senses of the word. His left hand was still busy with teasing the waistband of her undergarment. Her hands found his head as her impatience grew to an excruciating degree. When she thought she couldn't stand another second of the sensual torture he was putting her through, his grip on her panties tightened. He bunched up the pale lavender fabric in his fist and pulled it upwards, gently at first. Her eyes shot open and found his, her questioning look penetrating the air. Harvey intensified the force with which he pulled at the garment, making her gasp in surprise before she realized what his action triggered. The friction his movement brought with it was too much and not nearly enough for her sensitized flesh.

Harvey switched up his movement on her panties, letting the fabric go before again pulling it up. His mouth was still busy with her breasts, where he gently bit down on her rosy nipples before soothing them with his tongue. Donna didn't know what to focus on; the friction on her slit and the ministrations on her breasts were kicking her arousal into overdrive. She was slave to whatever he had in store for her and loving every minute of it.

His own arousal painfully obvious in his tenting boxer briefs, Harvey loved to torture her while at the same time not being able to wait to fill her with his manhood. He decided to move the process along and let go of her breasts with his mouth. He licked a trail of kisses down her stomach, dipped his tongue in her belly button and let go of her panties. Both of his hands closed in on the cheeks of her ass, while his lips approached her still covered mound. The scent of her arousal made his mouth water. He squeezed her ass just as his face was level with her sex. Harvey pressed his mouth against her center and deeply inhaled. His tongue traced the soaked fabric just as his eyes made contact with hers. Her look was pleading him to rid her of that final barrier, and his replied with strong agreement. Harvey's fingers again found the waistband of her panties, only to push them down this time. He eased the garment down her long, pale legs, and when she had stepped out of her underwear, his hands pushed her down by her hips. She landed on his bed, the sheets cool in comparison to her heated skin.

Donna sat on the edge of the mattress, but Harvey made no move to join her on the bed. Instead, he got up from his crouching position to move to the headboard where he picked up a big pillow. Donna's eyes followed his body, her gaze firmly settled on his erect cock hidden by his dark blue underwear. He came back to the foot of the bed and dropped the pillow in front of her feet. For Harvey, this wasn't the usual give-receive-intercourse game he'd been playing with most if not all of his former sexual partners. This time, he wasn't only giving in order to receive. He couldn't wait to taste her, to feel her core on his tongue.

At first, he only looked at her, how her breasts rose and fell with each intake of air. Harvey compared the image of her to the one he had stored away for ten years. She hadn't changed much. If anything, she was even more gorgeous to him. Her skin felt like silk, her body was more toned from years of doing yoga. He kneeled and for the first time dared to look at the apex of her legs. The smattering of trimmed curls were wet, and he blew cool air across her core. Donna propped her upper body on her elbows and watched him. This was like her birthday and Christmas combined. Harvey's head between her legs, in his apartment nonetheless. She never could have imagined being seduced by him that way.

He tried his best to avoid the spot she wanted to be touched at so much, focusing his attention first on her outer, then her inner folds before dipping his tongue into her entrance. And even though there was more than enough natural lubrication, Harvey really needed to taste her again after such a long time that had passed since he last had the opportunity to do so. The thought alone made him reconsider his resolve and his tongue moved up her slit. A load moan escaped her mouth when he reached her clit.

"You feel incredible," she said through moans.

"I've waited so long," he replied and caused a shiver to run through her body.

His unparalleled passion for her had her on the brink of her orgasm in no time. He sucked her clit into his mouth, held it gently between his teeth and flicked against it with his tongue. With his fingers he spread her folds before he inserted first one, then another finger into her tight heat. He lazily pumped in and out of her and focused his movement on his mouth. When he started humming against her bundle of nerves, she lost control and her hips started bucking wildly. And then she snapped. Her core spasming around his face. Her walls damn nearly breaking his fingers in the process. Harvey increased the pressure on her clit and had her gasp his name. He eased her down from her high with gentler licks. She panted heavily, a pure feline smile of satisfaction playing at her lips.

Harvey gave her a couple moments to recover. He rid himself of his boxer briefs and socks before he joined her on the bed, his cock jutting proudly in the air. She patted his cheek with her one hand, while the other sought out his erection. Their lips found each other and she took him in for a deep, open-mouthed kiss that gave her a taste of her arousal. She rolled on her side as her arms wrapped around his muscular back.

"That," she said in between kisses, "was spectacular."

"Comes with the name," he mumbled in response.

She slowly scooted down, peppering his chest with kisses, his straining erection her goal. When she reached her destination, she hastily sucked his cock into her mouth, her tongue trailing the thick vein on the underside. Harvey closed his eyes in pleasure and nearly lost it. What he had shown in restraint and control, she didn't care about and went straight for the gold. Her body now left the bed to take residence on the pillow he had placed there for himself. Their now reversed position allowed Donna to reciprocate, which she desperately wanted to do. Her hands on his thighs, she started to work his shaft with her mouth only. A deep, low growl escaped his throat in response to her ministrations. He was afraid he wasn't going to last long if she kept up her assault on his senses.

"Donna," he urged as he pulled her back up by her arms.

A questioning look spread on her face. She wanted so badly to repay the favor, to show him how much she loved and wanted him. A feeling of insecurity crept inside her chest. Had she done something wrong?

"Not tonight," he reasoned. She never would have thought he'd say that. It definitely wasn't like that the other time, where both were younger, their kisses sloppier and perhaps the selfishness more pronounced.

Part of her still wanted to take him fully in her mouth and feel his orgasm on her tongue. Shoving away the slightest feeling of hurt, she asked, "Why?"

He closed his eyes briefly, but remained determined to not let her get her way. The temptation was definitely there, but unlike the first time they slept together, he was certain that there would be other times after that. They had plenty of time to explore each other thoroughly. Harvey opened his dark eyes and raised his head to come closer to her face. He pressed a gentle kiss on her lips that were swollen from their kisses, and said honestly, "I want to be deep inside you when that hair trigger is pulled."

His words sent another wave of lust to her core, her heart nearly thumping out of its confines. She kissed him passionately, her tongue thrusting into his mouth, and a hum esacping her throat.

"Do you want me to get dressed?" he asked her then, completely throwing her off.

"What?" she asked, her voice bordering on shrill.

"With a condom I mean," he explained with a self-satisfied grin.

She nodded, and he moved away from her. He grabbed a condom from his nightstand and ripped the packet open.

"Let me do it," she demanded and was met with a curious look and raised eyebrow. He handed her the condom nonetheless and scooted back to her.

She pinched the reservoir closed and put the condom on the head of his cock, hesitating before pushing it all the way down. Her touch was gentle at first, but it got firmer the further down her fingers slid. Harvey released a breath through his nose and watched her intently. For the briefest of moments he thought a condom might be unnecessary because she felt so damn _good_ that his orgasm seemed imminent. But he willed himself to stay calm, reciting baseball stats in his head.

When she was done with the job, she arched her left eyebrow. "Ready?"

He gave her a nod and she took hold of the base of his shaft while straddling his thighs. She teased her entrance with his erection at first, getting it slick with her juices. Harvey's eyes were glued to their connection, eager to finally be buried inside her. She raised her hips before sinking down on his impressive length and taking him in to the hilt. Dual moans filled the bedroom as they both got used to the sensation of hard and soft flesh intertwined. Harvey's hands found her thighs and gave them an encouraging squeeze. She slowly started moving up and down his pole, unable to understand the sensation he caused in her. It was almost too much, too surreal. Her slick folds rubbed up and down his shaft while her clit got stimulation from his pubic bone and the base of his cock. She picked up speed, seemingly no longer in control of her movements.

Harvey was mesmerized by her. After all the doubt and back and forth and nearly a decade of uncertainty, he _needed_ to see her like this. Her wanting him as much as he wanted her, their connection finally on a level where they both wanted the same thing at the same time.

"Harvey," she panted.

His arms snaked from her thighs to her lower back where they ascended to her shoulders. He pulled her down for a kiss, which only increased the friction on her bundle of nerves. Donna rocked back and forth, her movements being matched by his hips.

"God, I love you," Harvey whispered. For a moment she thought she had misheard.

He felt her inner walls gripping him more tightly and he knew she was almost there. He hugged her even closer to his chest, crushing her full breasts against him and taking full possession of her mouth. The palms of his hands moved down her back again. He grasped her ass and gently pulled at the cheeks. She felt unbelievably good in his hands. Her gasp and his contorted face announced their impending orgasms. Donna's inner walls sucked him even further in before she milked him with her frenzied climax.

Minutes later, when moans were replaced by hums and hums gave way to more even breaths, she lifted her head and gave him an almost chaste kiss. Both took trips to the bathroom afterwards, but Harvey didn't come back to bed immediately. Instead he made a detour to the record player where he flipped the Miles Davis record. When he returned to her, they were facing each other in a tight embrace. While his hold on her was not as strong as a couple minutes ago, he still hugged her and kissed every inch of her face, neck and chest he could reach.

"I have no words," she said then.

He scoffed. "That would be the first. Should I give you some examples? How about amazing?"

"Mind-blowing," she countered.

"Earth-shattering," Harvey suggested.

"Unparalleled."

"Indescribable."

"How about the _best_?" Donna said, his heart swelling to unknown dimensions.

"Best?" he asked his raised eyebrows.

"Best," she assured.

"So it's downhill from here?"

"No, we got room for improvement," she said casually to tease him.

"Like?"

"Like you letting me bring you to an orgasm with just my hands and mouth."

He was surprised by her openness, yet he knew Donna was nothing if not open about most things. "We have time for that later. I didn't want tonight to be about me."

"How noble of you."

"I'd say so," he gave her a genuine smile.

"I have another improvement," Donna suggested while scooting closer to him.

"Shoot."

"We need to move that bed of yours to the other side of the room."

"Why?"

"Who puts their bed in the way of a view like that?" she asked him and motioned to the skyline right behind his headboard.

"I do."

"You do many stupid things."

"I made you come twice in an hour and you're already nagging me about the arrangement of my furniture?"

"Add to that the years and years where I've kept my mouth shut. I'd say I've shown a great deal of restraint so far."

"At least in that department..."

His remark earned him a soft punch on his shoulder. "So?"

"So what?"

"Are you gonna move it to that wall?" she asked and motioned to her right.

"We'll see."

"How can I make you change your mind?"

"I don't know."

"I'm pretty sure someone was watching us from the other building."

"OK, we'll move it in the morning."

After their exchange a comfortable silence settled between them. Donna's right hand slowly stroked up and down his back, from his shoulder blade to the dimples above his ass, while his played with her hair. In the darkness of his bedroom, she saw the tiniest smile playing at his lips.

"What?" she asked him to explain what caused this smile.

His smile widened before he pressed a tender kiss to her now barely swollen lips. "Nothing, it's just that I never would have thought our first time could be topped."

Her hazel eyes bored into his brown ones. Her heart started racing. She felt like running out on his terrace and screaming in pure bliss. All those doubts that have been locked in a compartment of her brain for an entire decade were successfully crushed and his words made her feel more secure, confident and sexy than she had ever felt. Her smile put his to shame now, and Harvey didn't know what to make of her reaction. She almost seemed like in trance.

"Donna?"

"Hm? Oh. I, uh, I don't know what to say, Harvey. I feel so fucking relieved," she beamed. Knowing that he never considered their first time to be subpar made her feel like the queen of sex.

"Because of what I said?" he wondered.

"Yes," she said and swallowed. Should she come clean? Her hand halted its movement in his back before she moved it to his face.

He got a bit nervous. She seemed to be about to confess something to him he wasn't sure he'd want to hear. "Well?"

"Back when we slept together all those years ago, I wasn't all too sure if you had enjoyed it," she told him. Her eyes piercing his, waiting for his reaction.

"You're kidding, right?"

"I'm really not," she said and took a breath. "When you asked to meet me and offered me a job, it was basically sealed for me that you didn't think our night together was worth repeating."

Harvey shook his head. He couldn't believe how much he'd hurt her over the years. He gently kissed her then, hoping to erase the memory she just described. "After that night, how could you doubt I had enjoyed it? If anything, you pretty much spoiled me for others."

"Stop. You don't mean that."

"If it really were true and I didn't like our night, why do you think I was more than ready for a repeat at the Pearson Hardman retreat five years ago?"

"I don't know. We were really tipsy. And we both know your memory isn't the best sometimes."

"Donna," he said and ran his fingers along her cheek. "I remember everything from that night. And for the record, I offered you the job for one reason only: You're the best and I knew that a screw-up like me couldn't make you happy back then. But working together, well, _kept_ us together."

"Until you were ready."

"Exactly."

"_Are_ you ready?"

"God yes," he said and chuckled. "Are you?"

"I was ready then, and I'm more than ready now."

"Good. I hope you'll be able to forgive me for stringing you along. Which is why I was so hesitant in the first place. I was afraid I had hurt you too much," he confessed. After a long while of silence he asked her quietly, "Have I?"

"Perhaps you have. But I'm tough. All's well that ends well," she replied. She also remained silent for a moment before she added, "Why did you wait so long?"

He swallowed and took a breath of air. "This is not something I ever wanted to voice to anyone. For the longest time I didn't think I'd deserve to be loved."

"Why would you think that?"

"Look at me. I'm working in a field where I constantly hurt people. I'm sure there's a special place in hell reserved for me. And on top of that, I wasn't sure if I even wanted to love someone. After everything with my parents..." he couldn't bring myself to finish the sentence. Donna knew what he was going to say. She always knew.

She never expected his insecurities to run that deep though. "So, what changed?"

"It might sound corny, but I really couldn't help it. I couldn't _not_ love you, Donna."

She kissed him gently. "You're such a sap!"

"The one time I'm open about my feelings..."

"I'm sorry. You deserve to be loved. I love you too, you know?" she told him then.

He was relieved at her admission. "I'm really glad you got sick. Everything became so clear. What have we been doing, Donna?"

She looked at him in true Donna fashion then. "We've been getting so close that we became inevitable."

Harvey crushed his lips against hers. He would never let her go.

* * *

_That's it, folks. Thank so much for reading. Leave me a review if you will. _

**_PurryCat will return_**


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